Infamous Crimes – The Jerry Sandusky Sex Abuse Case – Saul Roth

Image Credit: George Chriss, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

By Saul Roth

Jerry Sandusky was a former Penn State University assistant football coach who was convicted of sexually abusing 10 boys over a period of 15 years. The case, which came to light in 2011, rocked the Penn State community and led to the firing of head football coach Joe Paterno.

Sandusky was first accused of sexual abuse in 1998, when a graduate assistant saw him showering with a young boy in the Penn State football building. The graduate assistant reported the incident to Paterno, who then reported it to athletic director Tim Curley. However, no action was taken against Sandusky at the time.

In 2009, a second graduate assistant came forward with allegations of sexual abuse against Sandusky. This time, Curley and Penn State’s vice president for finance Gary Schultz met with Sandusky and told him that he was being investigated for child molestation. However, they did not report the allegations to the police.

The case finally came to light in 2011, when a grand jury report was released that detailed the allegations against Sandusky. Sandusky was arrested and charged with 40 counts of child sexual abuse. He was convicted on 45 of those counts in 2012 and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

The Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case was a major scandal that had a significant impact on Penn State University. Paterno was fired, as were Curley and Schultz. The university also paid out millions of dollars in settlements to the victims of Sandusky’s abuse.

The case also led to a number of changes in the way that child sexual abuse is handled in Pennsylvania. The state passed a law that requires all adults who suspect child abuse to report it to the authorities. The law also created a new hotline for reporting child abuse.

The Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case was a horrific tragedy that had a devastating impact on the lives of many people. However, it also led to important changes in the way that child sexual abuse is handled. It is hoped that these changes will help to protect children from abuse in the future.

In addition to the legal and financial repercussions of the case, the Jerry Sandusky scandal also had a significant impact on the Penn State community. The university’s reputation was tarnished, and many fans and alumni were outraged by the way that the case was handled. The scandal also led to a decline in enrollment at Penn State.