The trial of the former Penn State assistant football coach accused of molesting at least 10 boys began Monday. Here's everything you should know.
Jerry Sandusky
(Getty Images / Mark Wilson)
Jerry Sandusky is a former Penn State assistant football coach who is accused of molesting boys he met through The Second Mile, a charity he founded in 1977 to help troubled and underprivileged children. He served as an assistant coach at Penn State from 1969 until 1999 when he retired to work with the foundation full time.
According to prosecutors, Sandusky allegedly used his position at Penn State and the charity to serially victimize minors. After a nearly two years investigation, Sandusky was arrested in November of 2011 and charged with 40 criminal counts.
Questions about his arrest and Penn State’s handling of multiple allegations that staff members had seen Sandusky raping victims in the Nittany Lions’ locker room (where he had access to after retiring from the team) resulted in the ouster of longtime coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier.
Sandusky, 68, is now being tried on 52 counts relating to sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a span of 15 years. He has pleaded not guilty.
The Alleged Victims
(Reuters / PAT LITTLE)
Though the number of victims is believed to be more, prosecutors have a list of 10 victims in charging documents. Of the 10, eight are expected to be called as witnesses. The alleged victims are expected to testify that they were all between the ages of 10 and 17 when they molested by Sandusky, many for many years. All of them met Sandusky at The Second Mile Charity.
