According to the December 13th cbsnews.com article, “Sandusky waives hearing, delays facing accusers”, Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State assistant football coach has waived his preliminary hearing.
This action will move him toward a trial on charges of child sex abuse, and at the same time, spared his victims from having to face Sandusky in court today.
Sandusky is facing over 50 counts regarding the sexual molestation of ten boys he met through The Second Mile, a youth charity he founded in 1977. Currently, he is free on $250,000 bail. Sandusky has spoken to both NBC’s Bob Costas and The New York Times, denying the allegations. However, it’s not likely that he will testify.
Senior Deputy Attorney General E. Marc Costanzo was quoted as saying: “This development we believe provides maximum protection to most importantly the victims in this case. It avoids their having to testify for a second time. They will of course testify at a trial in the case.”
Sandusky arrived at the courthouse in Centre County, Pennsylvania– about ten miles from State College, where many of the alleged abuse took place – amid tight security. The article reports thatSanduskyentered the courthouse through the back door with his wife, Dottie, beside him and ignored questions from reporters.
Attorney Michael Boni, who represents one of the accusers, was glad Sandusky had waived the hearing. He was quoted as saying that the accusers “do not have to relive the horrors they experience up on the witness stand” by having to testify at the hearing and at trial.
No plea bargain discussions have taken place, per Costanzo. Sandusky will next appear in court for his arraignment on January 11th. He remains under house arrest.
Witnesses have contended before the grand jury that Sandusky committed a range of sexual offenses against boys as young as 10, assaulting them in hotel swimming pools, the basement of his home in State College and in the locker room showers at Penn State, where the 67-year-old former assistant football coach once built a national reputation as a defensive mastermind.
In recent weeks, Sandusky told NBC’s Bob Costas and The New York Times described his relationship with his accusers as that of extended family. He described the experiences with the children as “precious times”. He also said the physical aspect of the relationships had “just happened that way” and was not abusive.
Sandusky retired fromPenn State in 1999. This was a year after the police learned of the first known abuse allegation, when a mother told investigators Sandusky had showered with her son during a visit to the Penn State football facilities. Further accusations came in 2002, when graduate assistant Michael McQueary reported another alleged incident of abuse to Paterno and other university officials.
Athletic director Tim Curley and former university vice president Gary Schultz were charged with perjury and failure to report suspected abuse. Their preliminary hearing is scheduled for this Friday in Harrisburg.
Curley has been placed on leave and Schultz has returned to retirement following their arrests. The scandal also brought down university president Graham Spanier and famed coach Joe Paterno, who was fired last month.