A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for October 9 in the Jerry Sandusky case. Sandusky is the former assistant football coach at Penn State who was convicted of abusing boys back in June. In Bellefonte, PA, Judge John M. Cleland said that Sandusky is going to be sentenced following a hearing earlier on October 9 that will determine if he is a sexually violent predator.
Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts related to the abuse of boys. Sandusky could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years per count. President Graham Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno were fired in the wake of the scandal. Paterno was the head coach for 46 years and passed away in January.
Cleland received a request from prosecutors last week to declare Sandusky as a sexually violent predator. The Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board requires that anyone labeled as a sexually violent predator would need to register for life, requires lifetime counseling and community notification.
Sandusky’s trial lasted all of two weeks in June. Prosecutors claimed that Sandusky used the charity he created, the Second Mile, to meet his victims. He would give his victims money and gifts. Not all of the victims took the witness stand in the case but the ones who did were able to recount their meetings with Sandusky at his home and on campus.