What Is The Sandusky Scandal? Ex-Penn State Officials Sentenced To Jail For Not Reporting Child Sex Abuse
Three former officials at Penn State University were sentenced Friday to jail for failing to report a child sex abuse allegation against Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach of the university’s football team, the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Former Penn State president Graham Spanier, former vice president Gary Schultz, and former athletic director Tim Curley were convicted of child endangerment in March. Spanier was sentenced to four to 12 months, with the first two months to be spent behind bars and the rest under house arrest. Schultz was sentenced to six to 23 months, with the first two months to be served in prison and the rest under house arrest. Curley was handed down a seven to 23 months sentence, with the first three months to be spent in jail and the rest under house arrest.
Prosecutors said in their arguments that all three were informed about the abuse in 2001 but did not report it to police.
The child sex abuse scandal against Sandusky broke in early November 2011. He reportedly located and groomed his victims though his charity organization, the Second Mile. Reports said Sandusky’s abuse may have started in the 1970s, but he was charged with molestation that happened between 1994 and 2009. In 2011, Sandusky was indicted on 52 counts of child molestation.
Following this, Spanier and Curley were charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, failure to report suspected child abuse, and other related charges. Spanier subsequently stepped down, and the Penn State Board of Trustees terminated the contracts of Curley and longtime head football coach Joe Paterno, who died in 2012.
Sandusky’s trial began in June 2012 and he pleaded not guilty. Four of the initial 52 charges were dropped, but he was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse. In October that year, he was sentenced to a minimum 30 years and a maximum of 60 years in prison.
During the trial, Schultz and Curley testified against Spanier, and this March, he was found guilty of endangering the welfare of children.
On Friday, Judge John Boccabella said: “They ignored the opportunity to put an end to his crimes when they had a chance to do so.”
He also added he was “appalled that the common sense to make a phone call did not occur,” a misbehavior that “sort of robs my faith of who we are as adults and where we are going.”
The judge also said if either Paterno or former assistant football coach Mike McQueary would have brought up the child sex abuse issue to the police, the case would have ended differently.
After the sentencing was announced, Spanier said he was a victim of physical abuse himself.
"I'm sorry to the men who were victimized by Jerry Sandusky. I deeply regret that I did not intervene more forcefully," he said.
Curley and Schultz also spoke out following their sentencing.
"I deeply regret my actions to jeopardize children," Curley, who is being treated for lung cancer, said.
"It sickens me to think I might have played a part in children getting hurt," Schultz told the judge.
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