Sandusky lawyers seek to delay hearing on accuser's recantation

Lawyers for Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach convicted of sexually abusing boys, have asked a judge to cancel a scheduled hearing related to an accuser's recantation. The hearing, set for September 8, was part of the latest effort to secure a new trial for Sandusky, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence.

The judge has called a status conference for Friday to discuss the defense's request. In a court filing, Sandusky's attorneys indicated they want to first appeal the judge's refusal to consider other claims beyond the recantation.

Sandusky, now 82, was convicted in 2012 on 45 counts of sexual abuse. Eight young men testified at trial about abuse they suffered as boys. He has repeatedly failed in attempts to win a new trial.

The accuser in question, identified as R.R., has now said he was coached by authorities. In an affidavit filed by the defense, R.R. stated he was told that trauma may have fragmented his memory and that he could safely affirm details he did not fully recall. He said he was assured this was common and expected.

The defense argues that R.R.'s original allegations were based on suggestive questioning, prosecutorial coercion, and memory manipulation, which they claim affected other accusers as well.

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has called the recantation "highly suspect."

Sandusky was the defensive coordinator under Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno. The scandal led to Paterno's firing, and the university paid over $100 million to individuals who said they were abused. Sandusky met and groomed boys through The Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youth. He has consistently maintained his innocence.

At trial, R.R., then 25, testified that Sandusky abused him in the coach's basement when he was 11. He said Sandusky threatened that he would never see his family again if he told anyone, and later apologized and said he loved him.