Jerry Sandusky Sentenced to Minimum of 30 Years

Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison, for his role in the Penn State sex abuse scandal.  The minimum 30 year sentence, would essentially be a life sentence for Sandusky, who is now 68 years of age.  Under Pennsylvania law, Sandusky would not be eligible for parole until his minimum sentence had been fulfilled, making it highly unlikely that he will ever see life outside of prison again.

Sandusky denied the charges and allegations up until the end, claiming that it was, in fact, himself who was the victim – a victim of the system, of Penn State, lawyers and the media.  Although the sentencing was just handed down, Sandusky was officially convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse which included 10 boys over a span of 15 years.  Many alleged that Sandusky’s charitable football camps for underprivileged kids were his personal hunting grounds where he searched out vulnerable boys that would later become his victims.

Many of the victims are not ready, or may never be ready, to forgive Sandusky. Victim #3 in a statement directed at Sandusky said, ”I want you to know I don’t forgive you and I don’t know if I will ever forgive you. My only regret is that I didn’t come forward sooner.”

The scandal went much deeper than just Sandusky and his victims.  There were also investigations launched into how the abuse was reported, whether it was reported properly, and whether any officials knowingly tried to cover it up.  In the end, a trial is pending for Gary Schultz and Tim Curley, two university administrators charged with failing to properly report suspicions about Sandusky and lying to the grand jury that investigated him.

During the summer of 2012, an investigation commissioned by the university and led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded that Paterno and other top officials covered up allegations against Sandusky for years to avoid bad publicity.  Long time coach, Joe Paterno was fired in the wake of the scandal, a move that the Penn State alums and students did not agree with. The scandal also led to the resignation of university President Graham Spanier and led to NCAA sanctions against the football team which include a $60 million fine,  losses of football scholarships the school can award, and a ban on any bowl games. The NCAA also erased 14 years of victories for Paterno, which effectively lost Paterno the title of college football’s winningest coach.