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Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has recently been charged with at least 40 counts related to sexual abuse following a two-year investigation.
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Collen Clark Published by Collen Clark

Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has recently been charged with at least 40 counts related to sexual abuse following a two-year investigation. Reports have stated that Sandusky met the alleged victims through The Second Mile, a children’s charity organization he founded in 1977. Schmidt & Clark, LLP is currently accepting potential lawsuits on behalf of victims of sexual abuse.

  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/25/12: On Friday, Jerry Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over a period of 15 years, charges that shattered the once pristine image of Penn State University football and led to the firing of revered head coach Joe Paterno. Sandusky, a 68-year-old retired defense coach who was once considered to be next in line to take over Paterno’s job, showed little emotion as he was found guilty of 45 of 48 counts.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/22/12: This week, one of Jerry Sandusky’s adopted sons reportedly admitted to authorities that the former Penn State assistant football coach sexually abused him as a child. Lawyers for Matt Sandusky, who is one of Jerry Sandusky’s six adopted children, issued a statement yesterday saying that the 33-year-old was prepared to testify on behalf of the prosecution in his father’s high-profile sex abuse trial.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/19/12: Friends and ex-colleagues of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky testified yesterday on behalf of the defense in order to counter prosecution witnesses’ claims that he sexually abused boys in locker room showers. The testimony came at the beginning of the second week of a trial that has proceeded at a surprisingly brisk pace.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/15/12: The high-profile child sex abuse trial involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has adjourned for the week, following graphic testimony from eight prosecution witnesses. The last witness’s testimony has been described as the most explicit of the trial to date, but also the most problematic because some of its details differed from those of earlier witnesses.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/13/12: Taking the stand for the first time on Tuesday, former Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary told jurors that he saw Jerry Sandusky naked in a locker room shower engaging in explicit sex acts with a prepubescent boy about 10 years ago. McQueary’s account differed little from his testimony given last December at a preliminary hearing, except that the shower encounter took place in 2001 instead of 2002.

    Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/12/12:
    The second day of Jerry Sandusky’s child sex abuse trial got underway this morning with tearful testimony from a witness known so far only as ‘Victim 1,’ a teenager whose mother’s complaints sparked a grand jury investigation. The trial’s second witness to testify, the young man cried as he described to jurors how the former Penn State assistant football coach performed explicit sex acts on him after meeting him through The Second Mile, a charitable organization Sandusky founded in 1977.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/11/12: Opening arguments in the high profile child sex abuse trial involving a former Penn State assistant football coach got underway today in Bellefonte, PA., thrusting the notorious scandal back into the public spotlight. Eight young men are scheduled to testify in Centre County Court about how 68-year-old Jerry Sandusky befriended and abused them as boys over a 15-year period.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 6/6/12: According to sources close to the case, Jerry Sandusky allegedly wrote one of his victims inappropriate love letters, the contents of which will be read in testimony once the high-profile child sex abuse trial begins. The handwritten letters were sent to an accuser known only as ‘Victim 4,’ who is just one of eight witnesses scheduled to testify against the disgraced former Penn State assistant football coach.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 5/30/12: Four of Jerry Sandusky’s accusers have made formal requests for anonymity during the upcoming child sex abuse trial, which is currently scheduled to begin June 5. The disgraced former Penn State assistant football coach attended a closed-door meeting with judge John Cleland on Tuesday, a day before what could be the final hearing before the start of the trial.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 5/29/12: The Second Mile, a charitable organization founded by Jerry Sandusky, is attempting to transfer its programs and millions in assets to another youth organization. The move comes in response to a steep drop in donations and loss of volunteers that followed Sandusky’s indictment on 52 counts of sexual abuse on children he allegedly met at The Second Mile.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 5/21/12: Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been denied an extension to the start of his child sex abuse trial, which is currently scheduled to begin June 5 in Centre County, PA. Judge John Cleland issued the ruling today, rejecting a second defense request to delay the trial.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 5/18/12: For the second time, Jerry Sandusky’s defense attorney has asked a judge to throw out charges of child sexual abuse filed against his notorious client. The defense contends that a number of the counts are too vague to defend, and others involve alleged victims whose identities have yet to be revealed.
  • Jerry Sandusky Sexual Abuse Update 5/10/12: Judge John Cleland has granted Jerry Sandusky’s legal team some of the documents they requested through subpoenas, but stopped short of requiring the prosecution to disclose all information related to accusers in the case. Among the materials released to the defense were documents regarding Sandusky’s conduct at The Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youths.
  • Penn State Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Update 5/8/12: Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer has requested a postponement in his client’s child sex abuse trial, stating that he needs more time to prepare, and that without a delay he would be “unable to effectively and adequately” represent the former Penn State assistant football coach. It wasn’t immediately clear if Judge John Cleland would grant the request for postponement.
  • Penn State Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Update 5/5/12: New documents filed by Jerry Sandusky’s defense team indicate that there are at least 17 accusers filing sexual abuse charges against the former Penn State football coach, a number much higher than previously expected. Legal experts believe prosecutors will try to establish that Sandusky employed the same general pattern of abuse with the new accusers as was used with the victims listed in the original indictment.

Free Penn State Sexual Abuse Suit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been a victim of Penn State Sexual Abuse, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

What’s the problem?

On November 4, 2011, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office charged Jerry Sandusky with 40 counts of sexual abuse. Additionally, Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and senior vice president of finance and business Gary Schultz have been charged with failing to report the suspected crimes and lying to the grand jury. Curley and Shultz have since stepped down from their posts and surrendered to police.

Sandusky, who was once considered a possible successor to Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, created the Second Mile foundation in 1977 to provide various programming – including football camps which Sandusky himself was a part of – for at-risk children.

Paterno, who released a statement describing the charges as ‘very shocking,’ allegedly informed Curley that a graduate assistant had told him he witnessed a lewd sexual act between Sandusky and an under age boy.

“If this is true we were all fooled, along with scores of professionals trained in such things, and we grieve for the victims and their families. They are in our prayers,” Paterno said in the statement.

Pennsylvania state police commissioner Frank Noonan has stated that Paterno fulfilled his legal duty when he relayed the message, but also questioned whether the coach had a moral responsibility to do more.

“Somebody has to question about what I would consider the moral requirements for a human being that knows of sexual things that are taking place with a child,” Noonan said. “I think you have the moral responsibility, anyone. Not whether you’re a football coach or a university president or the guy sweeping the building. I think you have a moral responsibility to call us.”

Penn State Sex Abuse Timeline

A chronological timeline of the case against Sandusky based on a grand jury report in Pennsylvania state court is as follows:

  • 1994 – Boy known as Victim 7 meets Sandusky through The Second Mile program at about the age of 10.
  • 1994-95 – Boy known as Victim 6 meets Sandusky at a Second Mile picnic at Spring Creek Park when he is 7 or 8 years old.
  • 1995-96 – Boy known as Victim 5 meets Sandusky through The Second Mile when he is 7 or 8, in second or third grade.
  • 1996-97 – Boy known as Victim 4, at the age of 12 or 13, meets Sandusky while he is in his second year participating in The Second Mile program.
  • 1996-98 – Victim 5 is taken to the locker rooms and showers at Penn State by Sandusky when he is 8 to 10 years old.
  • Jan. 1, 1998 – Victim 4 is listed, along with Sandusky’s wife, as a member of Sandusky’s family party for the 1998 Outback Bowl.
  • 1998 – Victim 6 is taken into the locker rooms and showers when he is 11 years old. When Victim 6 is dropped off at home, his hair is wet from showering with Sandusky. His mother reports the incident to the university police, who investigate.

Related:

FAQs

Are there ongoing legal proceedings related to the Penn State scandal?
There have been ongoing legal proceedings, including appeals by Sandusky and lawsuits by victims seeking further compensation.

What were the findings of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s investigation?
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s investigation concluded that Sandusky committed numerous acts of abuse and that university officials failed to act on reports of his behavior.

Has Jerry Sandusky maintained his innocence?
Despite overwhelming evidence and his conviction, Jerry Sandusky has maintained his innocence and has attempted to appeal his conviction.

How has the Penn State community supported abuse prevention initiatives?
The Penn State community has supported various abuse prevention initiatives through fundraising, advocacy, and participation in awareness programs to ensure the safety of children.

See the other sexual assault claims we’ve taken on.

Do You Have a Penn State Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

The Sexual Abuse Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Penn State sexual abuse lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.

Free Penn State Sexual Abuse Suit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been the victim of Penn State sexual abuse, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

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