Former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandsuky, already facing 40 counts of alleged sexual assaults of children, was taken from his State College home Wednesday morning in handcuffs by agents from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office and the state police, and was charged with additional crimes involving assaults of children.
The state’s attorney general, Linda Kelly, said in a statement that new charges were filed against Sandusky as part of the ongoing grand jury investigation into Sandusky’s alleged sexual assaults.
"Today's criminal charges were recommended by a statewide investigating grand jury, based on evidence and testimony that was received following the initial arrest of Sandusky on November 5th," Kelly said. "At that time, Sandusky was charged with sexually assaulting eight victims, all of whom first encountered Sandusky as children through The Second Mile, a organization that he founded to operate programs for disadvantaged young people."
Sandusky's bail was increased from a $100,000 personal recognizance bond to $250,000 with electronic monitoring as a result of the new charges. Prosecutors asked for $1 million.
Kelly said these latest criminal charges come in the wake of grand jury testimony from two additional alleged victims, identified as Victim 9 and Victim 10, who were allegedly targeted by Sandusky when they were children.
"As in many of the other cases identified to date, the contact with Sandusky allegedly fit a pattern of 'grooming' victims," Kelly said, "Beginning with outings to football games and gifts; they later included physical contact that escalated to sexual assaults."
According to the grand jury, Victim 9 first encountered Sandusky in approximately 2004, while participating in a summer camp organized by The Second Mile, the youth charity Sandusky founded, when the child was 11 or 12 years old.
“Sandusky allegedly approached the young man, engaged him in conversation and expressed an interest in spending more time with the child,” according to the grand jury.
Kelly said Sandusky allegedly took the boy to numerous Penn State University football games and gave him gifts and money.
Later, the grand jury found that during overnight stays at Sandusky's home, behavior such as hugging, rubbing, cuddling and tickling — initially viewed as acts of affection — escalated to sexual assaults. Additional sex acts were allegedly performed in the swimming pool and Jacuzzi of a hotel in the State College area, at times when the pool area was not occupied.
According to the presentment, Sandusky told Victim 9 that he loved and cared for him and urged him to keep their activities secret.
In the case of Victim 10, the boy was referred to The Second Mile in 1997, when he was 10, at the recommendation of a counselor because of difficulties in his home life. Sandusky allegedly approached the boy during a summer camp and later made arrangements to take the boy to several Penn State Football games where the boy played football at Holuba Hall on the Penn State campus, attended "tailgate parties" prior to the game and spent time at the Sandusky home.
According to the grand jury, "wrestling" sessions in the basement of Sandusky's home eventually escalated to incidents where Sandusky performed oral sex on the boy.
Victim 10 also detailed incidents which occurred at a swimming pool on the Penn State Campus, along with an encounter in a car when Sandusky allegedly exposed himself and requested oral sex from the boy.
As in other cases, Sandusky allegedly gave the boy gifts and frequently told the boy that he loved him.
In addition to the 40 counts, Sandusky is charged with four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, all first-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 fines.
In addition to the other charges he faces, Sandusky is charged with one count of indecent assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of children, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.
He is also charged with one count of indecent assault and two counts of corruption of minors, all first-degree misdemeanors each punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 fines.
A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for Tuesday, December 13th, at 8:30 a.m., before Magisterial District Judge Robert E. Scott, at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.
"As in any other criminal investigation, we will continue to follow the evidence and facts wherever they lead," Kelly said.
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