Sandusky Breaks Silence Amid PSU Scandal
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The man at the center of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal spoke out for the first time Monday night.
In an interview with NBC's Bob Costas, Jerry Sandusky proclaimed his innocence.
Rather than wait for a trial, Sandusky decided to take his case to the public.
During the interview, he said he was innocent and that his actions were being misconstrued.
Sandusky admits he showered with boys, but said he never sexually assaulted anyone.
"I say that I am innocent of those charges," Sandusky said in the interview.
The alleged victims told the grand jury that Sandusky would start off by touching their leg to see how they reacted.
They claim the abuse would escalate from there.
"Well I could say that, you know, I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their leg, without intent of sexual contact," Sandusky said.
Sandusky's attorney told CNN that his client is just "one of the guys," and his admission does not mean he is guilty.
"Jocks do that. They kid around, they horse around. That's a far different thing than saying he got showers with kids than saying that he committed these other acts, which the prosecution has alleged he did," Joe Amendola said.
During last night's interview, Sandusky was asked if head football coach Joe Paterno had ever spoken to him about the alleged incidents with children.
Sandusky simply responded, "No."
Sandusky is charged with 40 counts of sexually abusing eight boys, all of whom he met through the The Second Mile charity.
When asked if he is a pedophile, Sandusky again answered, "No."
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RELATED LINKS
PHOTO GALLERY: Chaos On Campus After PSU Fires JoePa
VIDEO: Interim Coach Tom Bradley (11/10)
VIDEO: Joe Paterno Speaks After Firing (11/9)
VIDEO: Board of Trustees News Conference (11/9)
VIDEO: Watch The Attorney General's News Conference (11/7)
STORY: PSU's Tom Bradley: "It's An Unprecedented Situation That We Find Ourselves In"
WARNING Contains Graphic Material: Read The Entire Grand Jury Presentment
AG, PSP Commissioner Statements: Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
LINK: Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office
LINK: Penn State Nittany Lions
