Sandusky Accuser's Recantation Bid Heard in Court
A hearing was held on a bid by one of Jerry Sandusky's accusers to recant abuse allegations, part of the ex-coach's latest new-trial effort.
A Pennsylvania court convened remotely on Tuesday to consider a request by one of Jerry Sandusky's accusers to withdraw allegations of sexual abuse against the former Penn State assistant coach. The hearing forms part of Sandusky's latest legal effort to secure a fresh trial.
Sandusky, now 82, has been imprisoned since his 2012 conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse. At trial, eight young men testified about abuse they suffered as boys. The accuser in this matter, identified in court documents as R.R., was 25 at the time of trial and testified that Sandusky abused him in the coach's basement in 1998, when R.R. was 11.
In an affidavit filed by Sandusky's attorneys, R.R. now claims he was extensively coached by authorities and could "safely affirm details I did not fully recall." Defense lawyers argue the allegations stemmed from "suggestive leading questioning, prosecutorial coercion and influence, confirmatory bias and memory manipulation."
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, however, has described the supposed recantation as "highly suspect."
Sandusky, who served as defensive coordinator under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno, has consistently maintained his innocence. The scandal led to Paterno's dismissal, and the university paid out over $100 million to individuals who alleged abuse. Authorities said Sandusky identified and groomed boys through The Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youth. Sandusky has lost multiple previous attempts to overturn his conviction.