The sickening saga that is Jerry Sandusky has taken yet another sordid twist.
The Centre Daily Times is reporting that a lawyer, Daniel Kiss, for an unnamed individual is claiming that his client was sexually abused by the former Penn State defensive coordinator. What makes this different from some of the other claims is that the alleged victim is being described as a former PSU recruit who claims the assault took place at a Nittany Lions football camp on the university’s campus. Where the alleged assault took place -- on-campus or off -- wasn’t detailed
The incident also allegedly occurred in June of 1988, when Sandusky was in the midst of the 20th year of what would turn out to be a 31-year tenure as a trusted member of Joe Paterno‘s staff.
The alleged victim stayed silent for 23 years, not saying anything to authorities until 2011. That was around the time the Sandusky child-sex abuse story exploded and, ultimately, led to Paterno’s firing.
The allegations were reported by the man to the state police, Kiss claimed, and were then forwarded to the state’s Attorney General’s office; “no action was taken” by that office, Kiss stated.
The reason no action was taken seems to be related to “concerns relating to the statute of limitations.” The ruling made by the AG’s office is now being appealed.
"(He) was destined for greatness. He was an excellent student, extremely gifted athlete and a model citizen,” a statement from the alleged victim’s family began. "[After the alleged sexual assault,] his life slowly began to spiral out of control, into a life of drugs, alcohol and serious crime, and none of us, including his parents, family or friends, could figure out what had happened. ... He secretly lived with this guilt and shame for approximately 27 years before finally telling his story.”
Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse in June 2012 and sentenced to 30-60 years in prison four months later. The mandatory minimum of 30 years means that the 71-year-old Sandusky will likely die behind bars.
The Penn State football program was also slapped with historic NCAA sanctions, most of which were eventually rolled back.