[h=3]By KRIS MAHER[/h]
APFormer Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky arrives at the Centre County Courthouse for a sentencing hearing Tuesday in Bellefonte, Pa.
BELLEFONTE, Pa.—Former Pennsylvania State University football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to 30 years to 60 years in prison for charges of child sex abuse that involved 10 boys and spanned a decade and a half.
Legal observers said the sentence ensures that Mr. Sandusky, 68 years old, will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in a state prison. He had faced a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of more than 200 years. Experts said the chances of Mr. Sandusky successfully appealing his conviction is remote.
[h=3]Timeline: Sandusky on Trial[/h]Read about Jerry Sandusky's career and key dates highlighted in grand-jury reports that have formed the basis of the criminal complaints against him.
Defense attorney Joe Amendola talks to reporters after the sentencing of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky on charges of child sex abuse that involved 10 boys.
Mr. Sandusky, wearing a red prison jumpsuit with "Centre County" printed on the back, stood motionless in a crowded but hushed courtroom as Judge John Cleland read a list of individual sentences for 45 counts related to child sex abuse that Mr. Sandusky had been convicted of in June.
"The tragedy of this crime is that it's a story of betrayal," Judge Cleland said before handing down the sentence. "Those who have never encountered a pedophile can hardly begin to understand the anguish of those who have been so expertly deceived….The crime is not only what you did to their bodies but what you did to their psyches and souls."
Judge Cleland said to Mr. Sandusky, "When I say to you that you're sentenced to spend not less than 30 years to 60 years in prison, that has the unmistakable impact of saying clearly 'for the rest of your life.' "
Judge Cleland also addressed Mr. Sandusky's victims, several of whom were in the courtroom and had read statements about being sexually abused. "The fact that you were assaulted is no cause for embarrassment or shame," Judge Cleland said. "It is for your courage and not for your assault that you will be remembered. And it is that on which you must focus if you are going to become whole and healed."
Mr. Sandusky, who chose not to testify during his trial, read a lengthy statement in the courtroom. A weary-looking Mr. Sandusky maintained that he is innocent. "Others can take my life. They can make me out as a monster," Mr. Sandusky said. "They can't take away my heart, and in my heart I know that I didn't commit these alleged disgusting acts."
Mr. Sandusky spoke about the victims who he said had wrongfully accused him, as well as about football, prison life, his dog and missing his family. His wife Dottie looked on, holding the side of her face with one hand. At the end, his voice cracked with emotion as he spoke of being separated from his family.
Three young men read statements in court and said they were still suffering from the abuse they suffered at Mr. Sandusky's hands. "I will never erase the filthy images of his naked body against mine, but he must pay for his crimes which he has now been convicted of," said a young man identified as Victim 5, who testified that he was molested in a Penn State shower by Mr. Sandusky. "He took away my childhood the day he assaulted me. He should be sentenced accordingly."
Penn State President Rodney Erickson released a statement saying that the university's thoughts were with the victims.
"While today's sentence cannot erase what has happened, hopefully it will provide comfort to those affected by these horrible events and help them continue down the road to recovery," the statement said.
Before sentencing, lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan also read a statement in which he called Mr. Sandusky "the most insidious and depraved of criminals." He called the Second Mile charity that Mr. Sandusky founded "a victim factory" and continued in a firm voice, addressing the judge directly: "He selected the most vulnerable to prey upon, grooming children with games and gifts and attention….No deceit was too shameful for him."
In seeking leniency, Sandusky attorney Joe Amendola said his client had been a generous father figure to many young people. "We have a gentleman who by many accounts of his neighbors, his friends and his co-workers and former football players was a generous, kind, giving person who always only wanted to help people."
Mr. Amendola continued: "I think it's important that there's another side to Mr. Sandusky. I'm asking the court to take into consideration that side, the positive side of Mr. Sandusky."
Mr. Amendola also called the sentence "reasonable, given the number and the gravity of the offenses." He added that Mr. Sandusky now wants to begin his appeal.
Mr. McGettigan also read statements on behalf of a young man identified as Victim 1 during the trial and from the mother of Victim 9. "Jerry Sandusky humiliated me beyond description," Mr. McGettigan read from Victim 1's statement. "I describe it as emotional agony where it is almost impossible to trust anyone….Thoughts I don't want to think, memories I don't want to remember."
Eight young men gave graphic and often emotional testimony during the trial, saying that affectionate touching became sexual when they slept over at Mr. Sandusky's house or showered with him at Penn State. Several young men said Mr. Sandusky engaged in oral sex with them.
Mr. Amendola attempted to portray Mr. Sandusky as the victim of troubled young men who had gotten into scrapes with the law and were taking advantage of his generosity or who planned to seek monetary damages in civil litigation against Mr. Sandusky and the university.
In the appeal, lawyers for Mr. Sandusky will argue that they didn't have enough time to prepare a defense and that the lead prosecutor on the case prejudiced the jury by saying Mr. Sandusky could have said more in his own defense, according to Karl Rominger, one of Mr. Sandusky's lawyers.
Before the sentencing hearing, Judge Cleland found that "by clear and convincing evidence" that Mr. Sandusky was determined to be a "sexually violent predator," which would impact his monitoring if he were to be paroled.
Write to Kris Maher at [email protected]
BELLEFONTE, Pa.—Former Pennsylvania State University football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to 30 years to 60 years in prison for charges of child sex abuse that involved 10 boys and spanned a decade and a half.
Legal observers said the sentence ensures that Mr. Sandusky, 68 years old, will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in a state prison. He had faced a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of more than 200 years. Experts said the chances of Mr. Sandusky successfully appealing his conviction is remote.
[h=3]Timeline: Sandusky on Trial[/h]Read about Jerry Sandusky's career and key dates highlighted in grand-jury reports that have formed the basis of the criminal complaints against him.
Defense attorney Joe Amendola talks to reporters after the sentencing of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky on charges of child sex abuse that involved 10 boys.
Mr. Sandusky, wearing a red prison jumpsuit with "Centre County" printed on the back, stood motionless in a crowded but hushed courtroom as Judge John Cleland read a list of individual sentences for 45 counts related to child sex abuse that Mr. Sandusky had been convicted of in June.
"The tragedy of this crime is that it's a story of betrayal," Judge Cleland said before handing down the sentence. "Those who have never encountered a pedophile can hardly begin to understand the anguish of those who have been so expertly deceived….The crime is not only what you did to their bodies but what you did to their psyches and souls."
Judge Cleland said to Mr. Sandusky, "When I say to you that you're sentenced to spend not less than 30 years to 60 years in prison, that has the unmistakable impact of saying clearly 'for the rest of your life.' "
Judge Cleland also addressed Mr. Sandusky's victims, several of whom were in the courtroom and had read statements about being sexually abused. "The fact that you were assaulted is no cause for embarrassment or shame," Judge Cleland said. "It is for your courage and not for your assault that you will be remembered. And it is that on which you must focus if you are going to become whole and healed."
Mr. Sandusky, who chose not to testify during his trial, read a lengthy statement in the courtroom. A weary-looking Mr. Sandusky maintained that he is innocent. "Others can take my life. They can make me out as a monster," Mr. Sandusky said. "They can't take away my heart, and in my heart I know that I didn't commit these alleged disgusting acts."
Mr. Sandusky spoke about the victims who he said had wrongfully accused him, as well as about football, prison life, his dog and missing his family. His wife Dottie looked on, holding the side of her face with one hand. At the end, his voice cracked with emotion as he spoke of being separated from his family.
Three young men read statements in court and said they were still suffering from the abuse they suffered at Mr. Sandusky's hands. "I will never erase the filthy images of his naked body against mine, but he must pay for his crimes which he has now been convicted of," said a young man identified as Victim 5, who testified that he was molested in a Penn State shower by Mr. Sandusky. "He took away my childhood the day he assaulted me. He should be sentenced accordingly."
Penn State President Rodney Erickson released a statement saying that the university's thoughts were with the victims.
"While today's sentence cannot erase what has happened, hopefully it will provide comfort to those affected by these horrible events and help them continue down the road to recovery," the statement said.
Before sentencing, lead prosecutor Joseph McGettigan also read a statement in which he called Mr. Sandusky "the most insidious and depraved of criminals." He called the Second Mile charity that Mr. Sandusky founded "a victim factory" and continued in a firm voice, addressing the judge directly: "He selected the most vulnerable to prey upon, grooming children with games and gifts and attention….No deceit was too shameful for him."
In seeking leniency, Sandusky attorney Joe Amendola said his client had been a generous father figure to many young people. "We have a gentleman who by many accounts of his neighbors, his friends and his co-workers and former football players was a generous, kind, giving person who always only wanted to help people."
Mr. Amendola continued: "I think it's important that there's another side to Mr. Sandusky. I'm asking the court to take into consideration that side, the positive side of Mr. Sandusky."
Mr. Amendola also called the sentence "reasonable, given the number and the gravity of the offenses." He added that Mr. Sandusky now wants to begin his appeal.
Mr. McGettigan also read statements on behalf of a young man identified as Victim 1 during the trial and from the mother of Victim 9. "Jerry Sandusky humiliated me beyond description," Mr. McGettigan read from Victim 1's statement. "I describe it as emotional agony where it is almost impossible to trust anyone….Thoughts I don't want to think, memories I don't want to remember."
Eight young men gave graphic and often emotional testimony during the trial, saying that affectionate touching became sexual when they slept over at Mr. Sandusky's house or showered with him at Penn State. Several young men said Mr. Sandusky engaged in oral sex with them.
Mr. Amendola attempted to portray Mr. Sandusky as the victim of troubled young men who had gotten into scrapes with the law and were taking advantage of his generosity or who planned to seek monetary damages in civil litigation against Mr. Sandusky and the university.
In the appeal, lawyers for Mr. Sandusky will argue that they didn't have enough time to prepare a defense and that the lead prosecutor on the case prejudiced the jury by saying Mr. Sandusky could have said more in his own defense, according to Karl Rominger, one of Mr. Sandusky's lawyers.
Before the sentencing hearing, Judge Cleland found that "by clear and convincing evidence" that Mr. Sandusky was determined to be a "sexually violent predator," which would impact his monitoring if he were to be paroled.
Write to Kris Maher at [email protected]