Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced today in regards to the 45 child abuse charges he was convicted of in June. Sandusky is charged with abusing ten boys over the period of the last fifteen years. Some of them which happened inside Penn State facilities.
He was wearing a red prison jumpsuit and appeared thinner than before he was convicted in June. Sandusky was transported to Centre County Court from jail in a sheriff’s patrol car shortly before the hearing.
Lead prosecutor on the case, Joe McGettigan and victims of Sandusky were heard in the court, relaying to the court just how the acts have affected them. Sandusky had the last word before a brief hearing.
The judge then sentenced Sandusky to no less than 30 years in prison with a maximum of 60. He won’t have a chance of parole until the minimum 30 years is up. Sandusky is 68 years old, so essentially it is a life in prison sentence.
Within 10 days he will be transferred from a jail to a prison in Pennsylvania.
The case led to the firing of longtime head football coach Joe Paterno, who died from lung cancer in January.
On the radio yesterday, Sandusky claimed his innocence, “”They can take away my life, they can make me out as a monster, they can treat me as a monster, but they can’t take away my heart. In my heart, I know I did not do these alleged, disgusting acts.”
Sandusky will be filing an appeal.
Photo Credit: Patrick Smith / Getty Image
