Jerry Sandusky Gerald Arthur " Jerry " Sandusky ( born January 26 , 1944 ) is a retired American football coach and convicted serial child molester . Sandusky served as an assistant coach for his entire career , mostly at Pennsylvania State University under Joe Paterno ( from 1969 to 1999 ) . He received Assistant Coach of the Year awards in 1986 and 1999 . Sandusky authored several books related to his football coaching experiences . In 1977 , Sandusky founded The Second Mile , a non - profit charity serving Pennsylvania underprivileged and at - risk youth . After Sandusky retired as assistant coach at Penn State , he continued working with The Second Mile at Penn State ; even maintaining an office at Penn State until 2011 . In 2011 , following a two - year grand jury investigation , Sandusky was arrested and charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse of young boys over a 15 - year period . < ref name = " NYT 2011 / 11 / 06 " > < / ref > He met his molestation victims through The Second Mile , who were children participating in the organization , and several of them testified against Sandusky in his sexual abuse trial . Four of the charges were subsequently dropped . On June 22 , 2012 , Sandusky was found guilty on 45 of the 48 remaining charges . Sandusky was sentenced on October 9 , 2012 to 30 to 60 years in prison . On October 18 , 2012 , Sandusky ' s lawyers appealed his conviction in Centre County Court in Pennsylvania . They claim that they did not have enough time to prepare for their client ' s case . On October 31 , 2012 , Sandusky was moved to Pennsylvania ' s SCI Greene " supermax " prison to serve his sentence . On January 30 , 2013 , Pennsylvania Judge John Cleland ' s denied Sandusky ' s request for a new trial . Early life and family . Sandusky was born in Washington , Pennsylvania , the only son of Evelyn Mae ( née Lee ) , an Irish Catholic homemaker who came from a small Pennsylvania coal - mining town , and Arthur Sandusky , whose parents , Edward and Josephine Sendecki , had immigrated from Poland to East Vandergrift , Pennsylvania . His father Arthur served in the field of youth service programs for over 30 years , mostly as director of the Brownson House in Washington , Pennsylvania , a community recreation center for children . There , he founded the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling program and created junior basketball , volleyball , boxing and football programs for the Brownson House . He improved the facilities there by adding a new playground , gym , outdoor basketball court , and a renovated football field . He managed the 1955 Washington baseball team that won the Pony League World Series championship , the only team from Washington to win that championship . Arthur was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 . At home , Jerry Sandusky adopted his own personal law called " Jer ' s Law " that he stuck to for many years . The rules adopted were that Sandusky could be mischievous but not to the point where someone could be intentionally hurt , he also vowed to not be disrespectful to his teachers and swear to himself that he would tell the truth if he was caught breaking any rules . Sandusky attended Washington High School , where he was a good student and standout athlete , playing baseball , basketball , and football . He was a leader on his junior high basketball team that went undefeated through the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League . His classmates have described him as a studious " loner " who " never dated in high school " but was a popular and handsome athlete . Sandusky later considered studying in the Eighth Grade as the most important time in his life where he knew how important it was to grow up . Sandusky married Dorothy " Dottie " ( " née " Gross ) in 1966 , and together they have six adopted children . Sandusky and his wife have also served as foster parents . One of Sandusky ' s sons , Jon Sandusky , is Director of Player Personnel for the Cleveland Browns . Another son , E . J . Sandusky , is an assistant football coach at West Chester University . Sandusky described his family as " old fashioned " with Dottie being the leader . Matt Sandusky , adopted son and former foster child of Sandusky ' s , released a statement through his attorneys saying that Sandusky had sexually molested him as a child . Matt Sandusky ' s statement was released on the day the jury began deliberations in the sex abuse trial against Sandusky . Education and football career . Sandusky played for Rip Engle at Penn State , starting at defensive end from 1963 to 1965 . He graduated first in his class with a B . S . in health in 1966 and physical education in 1970 . Early coaching career . Sandusky served as a graduate assistant under Paterno at Penn State in 1966 . He was the assistant basketball and track coach at Juniata College in 1967 and the offensive line coach at Boston University in 1968 . Coaching career at Penn State . He returned to Penn State in 1969 and remained there as an assistant coach until his retirement at the end of the 1999 season . Sandusky served as defensive line coach in 1969 , became linebacker coach in 1970 , and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1977 , holding that position until his retirement . In his years as a linebacker coach and defensive coordinator , he coached many defensive squads , and Penn State gained a reputation for outstanding linebacker play , producing 10 first - team All - Americans at that position , and acquiring the nickname " Linebacker U " . Jack Ham and LaVar Arrington were two of the noted pro football greats to emerge from his teams . In 1998 Sandusky came under investigation by the campus police , following a claim by a mother that her son had been molested by him in the showers in Penn State . The president of Penn State , Graham Spanier , and Paterno among several Penn State officials followed the investigation closely . Sandusky officially retired shortly after this investigation , and was awarded " both an unusual compensation package and a special designation of ' emeritus ' rank that carried special privileges , including access to the university ’ s recreational facilities . " Spanier approved a lump - sum payment to Sandusky of $ 168 , 000 . His final game coaching at Penn State was a notable game for Sandusky . Penn State faced Texas A & M in the 1999 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio , Texas . The Nittany Lions ' defense shut out Texas A & M , 24 – 0 , the only bowl game shutout victory for Penn State under Paterno . Sandusky was recognized in ways usually reserved for a head coach . He was doused with a water bucket and carried to the center of the field on the shoulders of his players . The Second Mile . After retirement , Sandusky hosted many summer football camps and was active in The Second Mile , a children ' s charity he founded in State College , Pennsylvania in 1977 . President George H . W . Bush praised the group as a " shining example " of charity work in a 1990 letter , one of that president ' s much - promoted " Thousand points of light " encouragements to volunteer community organizations . Citing Sandusky ' s work with The Second Mile charity to provide care for foster children , then U . S . Senator Rick Santorum honored Sandusky with an Angels in Adoption award in 2002 . On November 15 , 2011 , the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute , a non - profit adoption awareness organization , rescinded its 2002 Angels in Adoption award to Jerry and Dorothy Sandusky . Santorum , then running for the Republican nomination for President , said he was " devastated " by the scandal . Ex - Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil , current Eagles head coach Andy Reid , former Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter , Matt Millen from ESPN , actor Mark Wahlberg , Arnold Palmer , and football player Franco Harris , among others , served on the Honorary Board of Second Mile . During the time period that Sandusky was being investigated by the Office of the Attorney General , investigators served subpoenas on the Second Mile to get records of boys who had been through the program as well as Sandusky ’ s travel and expense records . As it turned out , the records from 2000 to 2003 were missing . Record keepers later found files for one year , but the records for the other three years were never found . Child sex abuse scandal . Investigation and charges . An investigation was initiated by the Pennsylvania attorney general ’ s office into sexual abuse allegations against Sandusky in 2008 . The charges were initiated at Clinton County High School , where a student made allegations of abuse against Sandusky . The investigation reached a new level of urgency when it became apparent that the allegations were not an isolated set of incidents , but that Sandusky had a strategy to cull vulnerable boys ( whom he would first approach when they were 8 – 12 years - old ) through the Second Mile organization , targeting his potential victims at will ( boys tended to be from homes without a father present ) ; at which point Sandusky employed classic child grooming strategies ( offering trips to football games , gifts — leading to incremental touching ) . This form of manipulation is generally the modus operandi of pedophiles as a ploy to build trust while invading personal boundaries — all part of instilling confusion , leading up to and part of the sexual abuse ( Sandusky often initiated overtly sexual behavior in the locker room showers ) . " The testimony of one victim who said he was forced to put his hand on Sandusky ’ s erection when he was 8 to 10 years old particularly outraged investigators ' The poor kid was too young to even understand what an erection was , ' one said . " On November 4 , 2011 , a grand jury that had been convened in September 2009 , or earlier , indicted Sandusky on 40 counts of sex crimes against young boys . The indictment came after a three - year investigation that explored allegations of Sandusky having inappropriate contact with an underage boy over the course of four years , beginning when the boy was ten years old . The boy ' s parents reported the incident to police in 2009 . The grand jury identified eight boys that had been singled out for sexual advances or sexual assaults by Sandusky , taking place from 1994 through 2009 . At least 20 of the incidents allegedly took place while Sandusky was still employed at Penn State . According to the first indictment , in 2002 assistant coach Mike McQueary , then a Penn State graduate assistant , said he walked in on Sandusky anally raping a ten - year - old boy . The next day , McQueary reported the incident to head coach Joe Paterno . ( Later while testifying during the Sandusky trial , McQueary spoke about what he had relayed to Paterno : " I told him and I want to make sure I ' m clear . I made sure he knew it was sexual and wrong . There was no doubt . " Paterno told McQueary at the time , “ You did what you had to do . It is my job now to figure out what we want to do . ” At the Preliminary Hearing for Tim Curly and Gary Shultz , McQueary testified that Paterno was " shocked and saddened , kind of slumped back on his chair . " He said that Paterno told him : " I ' m sorry you had to see that . It ' s terrible . And he said , I need to think and tell some people about what you saw and I ' ll let you know what . . . what we ' ll do next . " Paterno then informed Penn State athletic director Tim Curley . At the Preliminary Hearing , McQueary also testified that he " believed " Sandusky was having " some type of intercourse " with the boy . He said that this was based on " the positioning " of Sandusky and the boy ; but that he never saw " insertion " or " penetration " and is not " 100 percent sure " that intercourse was occurring . Curley and senior vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz ( who oversaw the Penn State police department ) called McQueary to a meeting a week and a half later . During the meeting McQueary said that he relayed in " graphic detail " what he had witnessed in the locker - room showers at the Lasch Building . At the Preliminary Hearing of Curley and Shultz , McQueary testified that he would have given Curley and Shultz a " rough idea " of the body positions of the individuals in the shower , and would have described the activity as " extremely sexual and I thought some kind of intercourse was going on . " The indictment accused Curley and Schultz not only of failing to tell the police , but also of falsely telling the grand jury that McQueary never informed them of the alleged sexual activity . On November 5 , 2011 , Sandusky was arrested and charged with seven counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse ; eight counts of corruption of minors , eight counts of endangering the welfare of a child , seven counts of indecent assault ; and other offenses . Curley and Schultz were charged with perjury and failure to report suspected child abuse by Sandusky . On November 6 , 2011 , Penn State banned Sandusky from campus . His bail conditions did not include restrictions on his travel . In December 2011 , Sandusky was charged with an additional 12 counts of sexual crimes against children . The grand jury ' s second presentment charges Sandusky with an additional count of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and two additional counts of unlawful contact with a minor . The additional victims , known only as " Victim 9 " and " Victim 10 , " were participants in Sandusky ' s youth program and were between the ages of 10 and 12 at the time of the sexual assaults . On December 7 , 2011 , Sandusky was arrested for a second time based on the additional sexual abuse charges . Sandusky was released on $ 250 , 000 bail and placed on monitored house arrest while he awaited trial . Sandusky chose to waive his preliminary hearing that took place in mid December . Pre - trial interviews . On November 14 , in a televised phone interview on NBC ' s " Rock Center with Brian Williams " , Sandusky admitted to correspondent Bob Costas to having showered with underage boys and touching their bodies , as he described it " without intent of sexual contact . " Sandusky denied being a pedophile . The interview received substantial coverage in the media , particularly regarding the manner in which Sandusky answered Costas when asked if he is sexually attracted to young boys : In the days following the interview , several potential victims contacted State College lawyer Andy Shubin to tell their stories , with one claiming Sandusky had abused him in the 1970s . In an interview with Jo Becker of " The New York Times " on December 3 , 2011 , Sandusky responded to the initial 40 charges of sexual crimes against children : Trial . The trial , for 52 charges of sexual crimes against children , started on June 11 , 2012 , at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte , Pennsylvania . State Deputy Attorney General , and former homicide prosecutor , Joseph E . McGettigan III , led the prosecution team for the commonwealth ; defense attorney Joseph Amendola was Sandusky ' s lead attorney for the defense team ; and Senior Judge John Cleland presided . Over the course of the trial that lasted eight days , jurors heard from eight witnesses who testified that Sandusky sexually abused them . Jurors also heard testimony about assaults on two other victims who were never identified . Of the eight males who gave testimony , each explained that they met Sandusky through The Second Mile organization ; their individual accounts spanned from the mid - 1990s until 2009 . The witnesses testified of similar stories of being abused in the football locker room showers or in the basement of Sandusky ' s home Sandusky ' s defense attorneys argued that the accusers were driven by financial motives . The first prosecution witness , identified in media reports as " Victim 4 , " described detailed accounts of many instances of sexual abuse , including unwanted oral and anal sex , by Sandusky while the witness was a participant in Sandusky ' s Second Mile charitable organization . According to " Victim 4 , " he was sexually abused by Sandusky as many as three times a week for three years , beginning when he was 13 years old . The witness further testified that when he attempted to distance himself from Sandusky , Sandusky offered the boy a contract for money to continue spending time with him . On the second day of trial , " Victim 1 " , the youngest of Sandusky ' s alleged victims , testified to over 20 incidents of abuse , including unwanted and forced oral sex , by Sandusky during 2007 and 2008 while the boy was a participant in Sandusky ' s Second Mile program . The boy was 11 or 12 years old when the sexual abuse started . Mike McQueary , former Penn State graduate assistant football coach , testified that in 2001 in a Penn State locker room , he heard " skin on skin " slapping sounds coming from the showers . McQueary testified that he then saw Sandusky naked behind a 10 - to 12 - year - old boy propped against a shower wall , with " Sandusky ' s arms wrapped around the boy ' s midsection in the closest proximity that I think you could be in . " On June 18 , 2012 , it was reported that during the full - day court recess the previous Friday , prosecutors had contacted NBC " asking the network to re - authenticate a full unedited transcript " of the Bob Costas interview from November . An unaired portion of the Costas interview featured Sandusky saying , " I didn ' t go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I ' ve helped " . Legal analysts explained that this could be used by the prosecution to cross examine Sandusky if he were to take the stand . On June 21 , 2012 , after the case had gone to the jury , Matt Sandusky , one of Sandusky ' s six adopted children , stated through his attorney that he was also a victim of the former coach ' s sexual abuse . He had been ready to testify for the prosecution , but did not do so . Later , Amendola said that Jerry Sandusky had every intention of testifying in his own defense , but decided against it because he claimed that the prosecution would have called Matt Sandusky to the stand . Subsequently , sources close to the investigation conducted by the Office of the State Attorney General have stated that the prosecutor never threatened to have Matt Sandusky testify at trial , and that " prosecutor Joseph McGettigan relished the opportunity of taking - on Jerry Sandusky in cross examination and had promised Amendola early on that they would not call any additional rebuttal witnesses " . Verdict and sentencing . The jury , consisting of seven women and five men , many with direct ties to Penn State , deliberated for 21 hours over two days . On the evening of June 22 , 2012 , the jury reached its verdict , finding Sandusky guilty on 45 of the 48 counts against him . Specifically , Sandusky was convicted of the following charges and counts : eight counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse , seven counts of indecent assault , one count of criminal intent to commit indecent assault , nine counts of unlawful contact with minors , 10 counts of corruption of minors and 10 counts of endangering the welfare of children . Cleland immediately revoked Sandusky ' s bail and remanded him to the Centre County Correctional Facility to await sentencing . Sandusky faced a maximum sentence of 442 years in prison . According to NBC News ' Michael Isikoff , Sandusky faced a minimum sentence of 60 years under Pennsylvania sentencing guidelines — at his age , effectively a life sentence . A sentencing hearing was expected 90 days from the date of conviction . < ref name = " NYT 2012 / 06 / 24 " > < / ref > On September 17 , it was announced that Sandusky would be sentenced on October 9 . On the evening before his sentencing hearing , Sandusky released an audio statement maintaining his innocence . The next day , Cleland sentenced Sandusky to 60 years in prison . He will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least 30 years ; at his age , this all but assures he will die in prison . In pronouncing the sentence , Cleland said that Sandusky was a particularly dangerous breed of child molester because he masked his manipulation and abuse of children behind a respectable facade . " It is the remarkable ability to conceal that makes these crimes so heinous , " he said . While acknowledging Sandusky ' s " positive work , " Cleland called him a " dangerous " child molester who should never be allowed to be free again . At the same hearing , Cleland granted prosecutors ' request to have Sandusky declared a " sexually violent predator " under Pennsylvania ' s version of Megan ' s Law . This would subject him to stringent reporting requirements if he is released . Sandusky would not only have to report his address to police every three months for the rest of his life , but would also have to participate in a court - approved counseling program . However , this designation will likely be academic since as mentioned above , Sandusky will almost certainly die in prison . Earlier , on August 30 , the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board recommended that Sandusky be declared a sexually violent predator . Sandusky could also potentially face federal charges for molesting boys at both the 1999 Outback Bowl in Tampa and his final game as a collegiate coach , the 1999 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio . Although these were spelled out in the state indictment , federal authorities have jurisdiction over any crime that crosses a state line . Although federal investigators appear to be focusing their probe on a possible cover - up of Sandusky ' s crimes by officials at Penn State , it would not be double jeopardy to bring charges against Sandusky himself . Officials in San Antonio are conducting a probe of the 1999 Alamo Bowl case , and Sandusky could potentially face charges there ; again , it would not be double jeopardy for him to be charged in Texas . Reaction . Penn State has been the subject of significant media criticism because several members of its staff , ranging from the University President down to a graduate assistant , covered up Sandusky ' s assaults . In June 2012 , Penn State University implemented a policy to require mandatory reporting of child abuse by any Penn State employee working with children . The policy also requires all Penn State employees working with children to go through a background check and training related to child abuse and reporting requirements . Freeh report . The report by a special investigative group headed by former FBI director Louis Freeh had been commissioned by the Penn State Board of Trustees . After interviewing over 400 people and reviewing over 3 . 5 million documents , the crux of the report ' s findings , which were released July 12 , 2012 , state : The Freeh Report states that although the " avoidance of the consequences of bad publicity " was the main driver in failing to protect child abuse victims and report to authorities , the report outlines other causes as well , among which were : " A striking lack of empathy for child abuse victims by the most senior leaders of the University " ; a failure of oversight by the Board of Trustees ; a University President " who discouraged discussion and dissent " ; " a lack of awareness of child abuse issues " ; and " a culture of reverence for the football program that is ingrained at all levels of the campus community " . The report outlines how all four men were aware of the 1998 abuse incident in the locker - room shower , and had followed its investigation at the time . Freeh ' s investigation uncovered a file kept by Schultz in which he wrote notes about Sandusky ' s 1998 incident . For instance , Schultz wrote : " Is this opening of Pandora ' s box ? " He also wondered , " other children ? " Freeh stated that Schultz had " actively sought to conceal those records " . The evidentiary weight of Freeh ’ s report draws heavily upon retrieved emails from 1998 and 2001 , which Freeh referred to as “ the most important evidence ” in the report . The report asserts that these emails demonstrate that in 1998 Paterno knew of the investigation of Sandusky , and followed it closely ; and suggest that it was Paterno , " long regarded as the single most powerful official at the university , " who persuaded Spanier , Curley , and Schultz not to formally report Sandusky to law enforcement or child welfare authorities . According to " The New York Times " , the university ' s handling of the 2001 report of Sandusky raping a young boy is " one of the most damning episodes laid out by Mr . Freeh ’ s investigation . . . " The report states that nobody took any " responsible action after February 2001 other than Curley informing the Second Mile that Mr . Sandusky had showered with a boy " and then telling Sandusky not to bring his “ guests ” into the Penn State facilities ; but the topic of sexual abuse was not broached with Sandusky . The report criticizes Paterno for his failure to “ alert the entire football staff , in order to prevent Sandusky from bringing another child into the Lasch Building ” . According to details in the report , despite being aware of Sandusky ' s sexual misconduct with young boys in the locker - room showers in the Lasch Building in 1998 , and 2001 , Spanier , Paterno , Curley , and Schultz never restricted Sandusky ' s access to Penn State facilities . The report states that Sandusky had access to the Lasch Building until November 2011 . Over the next ten - year period , Sandusky " was frequently at the Lasch Building working out , showing up at campus events that Penn State supported . . . He was showering with young boys , staying in dormitories . . . There are more red flags than you could count , over a long period of time . " Consequently , out of the 10 young boys that Sandusky would be convicted of sexually assaulting , most of them were abused after he was investigated in 1998 — at least five of them were assaulted " at Penn State ’ s football facilities and other places on campus after May 1998 " . After his retirement in 1999 , the report notes that Sandusky continued to have “ unrestricted and unsupervised access to the University ' s facilities and affiliation with the university ' s prominent football program . Indeed , the continued access provided Sandusky with the very currency that enabled him to attract his victims " . Beyond the question of building access , the report details that as part of Sandusky ’ s retirement agreement he could " continue to work with young people through Penn State " for more than a decade , including Second Mile events on campus , youth football camps , etc . Sandusky ' s access to Lasch was rescinded in November 2011 . In the years previous to that , out of the 10 young boys that Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting , most of them were abused after he was investigated in 1998 — with the abuse of at least five of them occurring on the Penn State campus . At the July 12 press conference announcing the report ' s findings , Freeh stated in his prepared remarks : “ The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children Sandusky victimized . ” He said they “ never demonstrated , through actions or words , any concern for the safety and well - being of Sandusky ’ s victims ” until after he was arrested in 2011 . Further allegations and investigations . Three men came forward and told police that they were abused in the 1970s or 1980s by Sandusky . They are the first men to allege abuse before the 1990s . CBS News also reported that the United States Postal Service is leading an investigation to see whether Sandusky sent child pornography through the mail across state lines . According to one source , child pornography was found on at least one of Sandusky ' s computers . Other reports indicated that individuals had come forward claiming that Sandusky had assaulted them during the 1960s , while he was living at the Brownson House in Washington , Pennsylvania . On August 24 , 2012 , as reported by the Associated Press , the individual known as " Victim 1 " who testified at the trial of Sandusky brought suit against Pennsylvania State University . They reported that the suit charged the University ' s conduct with regard to the complaints that Sandusky had acted towards boys with sexual impropriety was " deliberate and shameful " , saying that Penn State engaged in " purposeful , deliberate and shameful subordination of the safety of children to its economic self - interests , and to its interest in maintaining and perpetuating its reputation . " In September 2012 , former Philadelphia child prostitute Greg Bucceroni alleges that in 1979 & 1980 Philadelphia philanthropist Ed Savitz brought him from his New Jersey residence to State College Second Mile fund raiser for the purpose of child prostitution trafficking . Imprisonment . On October 23 , 2012 , Sandusky was transferred to Camp Hill state prison in Harrisburg for pre - imprisonment evaluation . He was then moved to Greene state prison in Franklin Township , where most of the state ' s life and capital inmates are housed , on October 31 , 2012 , to serve his sentence . He will be housed in protective custody . Publications . Sandusky co - wrote an autobiography titled " Touched : The Jerry Sandusky Story " ( ISBN 9781582612706 ) , which was published in 2001 . His co - writer was Keith " Kip " Richeal . The book also includes a quote in a foreword from football coach Dick Vermeil about Sandusky : " He could very well be the Will Rogers of the coaching profession . " In the book , which was still on sale at the Penn State bookstore according to a November 12 , 2011 , report in a Harrisburg paper , " Sandusky paints a picture of himself as someone who would consistently take risks in pursuit of what he often refers to as ' mischief ' " . Other passages which look " different in light of the horrendous allegations " include : Other books by Sandusky include : Sandusky is set to write his second book in prison .