Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State University football coach was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault after allegedly abusing eight young boys that he worked with through a charity helping underprivileged children.
Two university administrators were also charged with perjury for failing to report information about Jerry Sandusky‘s sexually abuse.
Athletic director Tim Curley and the school’s vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz were charged Saturday with perjury and failure to report in an investigation into Jerry Sandusky‘s abuse of eight young men, state prosecutors said.
Jerry Sandusky, 67, was arrested Saturday and released on $100,000 bail, the attorney general’s office said.
Tim Curley, 57, and Gary Schultz, 62, both of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, were expected to turn themselves in Monday in Harrisburg.
Gary Schultz’s position includes oversight of the university’s police department, hence his involvement with the case.
Jerry Sandusky is a star in football circles as he is closely identified with the school’s reputation as a defensive powerhouse and a program that produced top-quality linebackers. He retired in 1999.
Longtime head coach Joe Paterno, who has more victories than any coach in the history of Division I football, was not charged, authorities said.
When Joe Paterno first learned of one report of abuse he immediately reported it to Tim Curley, prosecutors said.
Jerry Sandusky, who worked with at-risk children through his Second Mile organization,was 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 offences.
Second Mile organization, which was founded by Jerry Sandusky in 1977 to help underprivileged children released a statement distancing themselves from their disgraced leader:
“Jerry Sandusky has had no involvement in The Second Mile’s children’s programs and services since he made us aware of the allegations against him in November 2008. In August 2010, Jerry announced he was formally retiring from The Second Mile to attend to family and personal matters.
“This clearly is a very difficult time for Jerry and his family, for all other involved parties, and for The Second Mile.”
A preliminary hearing for Jerry Sandusky is scheduled for Wednesday.
Attorney General Linda Kelly called Jerry Sandusky “a sexual predator who used his position within the university and community to repeatedly prey on young boys”.
The grand jury identified eight young men who were targets of sexual advances or assaults by Jerry Sandusky from 1994 to 2009, prosecutors said.
Though the nature of the charges is shocking no matter what, the surprise is more loaded by the fact it comes from within the corridors of Penn State, a school where the football program is known for its consistancy as much as its success.
Attorney General Linda Kelly said:
“It is also a case about high-ranking university officials who allegedly failed to report the sexual assault of a young boy after the information was brought to their attention, and later made false statements to a grand jury.”
Prosecutors said all of the young men first encountered Jerry Sandusky through Second Mile and not through the university.
A grand jury report, which recommended charges, said the first to come to light was a boy who met Jerry Sandusky when he was 11 or 12. The boy received expensive gifts and trips to sports events from Jerry Sandusky, and physical contact began during his overnight stays at Sandusky’s home, jurors said.
Jerry Sandusky was banned from the child’s school district in Clinton County in 2009, after his mother reported alleged sexual assault to his high school. That triggered the state investigation that culminated in charges Saturday.
Linda Kelly said that seven years before that, in 2002, a graduate assistant saw Jerry Sandusky sexually assault a naked boy, estimated to be about 10 years old, in the locker room of the Lasch Football Building on campus.
The grad student and his father reported what he saw to Joe Paterno, who immediately told Tim Curley, prosecutors said.
Tim Curley and Gary Schultz met with the graduate assistant about a week and a half later, Linda Kelly said.
Attorney General Linda Kelly said:
“Despite a powerful eyewitness statement about the sexual assault of a child, this incident was not reported to any law enforcement or child protective agency, as required by Pennsylvania law.
“Additionally, there is no indication that anyone from the university ever attempted to learn the identity of the child … or made any follow-up effort to obtain more information from the person who witnessed the attack.”
The jury said Tim Curley lied when he testified repeatedly that he was never told Jerry Sandusky had engaged in sexual misconduct with a child, Linda Kelly said, adding that portions of Gary Schultz’s testimony also were not deemed credible by the jury.
Penn State president Graham Spanier called the allegations against Jerry Sandusky “troubling” but said Tim Curley and Gary Schultz had his unconditional support and he predicted they will be exonerated.
“I have known and worked daily with Tim [Curley] and Gary [Schultz] for more than 16 years,” Graham Spanier said.
“I have complete confidence in how they handled the allegations about a former university employee.”
Jerry Sandusky, once considered a potential successor to Joe Paterno, drew up the defenses for the Nittany Lions’ national-title teams in 1982 and 1986.
