(UPDATED) Sandusky Denies Being A Pedophile As The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal Deepens
The healing at Penn State in the wake of the firing of legendary football coach Joe Paterno and the university president is on hold. As 10 more alleged victims came forward with allegations that Jerry Sandusky molested them, the former defensive coordinator and accused pedophile went on the offensive and maintained he was innocent of the charges.
In a phone interview with NBC‘s Bob Costas last night, Sandusky admitted that he “shouldn’t have showered with those kids” and branded as “false” a claim by former assistant coach Mike McQueary that he witnessed him having anal sex with a 10-year-old boy in the team’s locker room showers in 2002.
“I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact,” Sandusky said. “I enjoy young people. I love to be around them. But no, I’m not sexually attracted to young boys.”
He also said Paterno never spoke to him directly about his behavior.
Sandusky, 67, has been charged with 21 felony counts for allegedly abusing eight male minors over a period of 15 years, and while he has to be presumed innocent the litany of allegations as detailed in a grand jury presentment and at least one eyewitness account show Sandusky seems to be a very sick and remorse-free man perhaps unaware of his own addiction, as well as understanding that his on-air comments threw more gasoline on the fire.
Meanwhile, the longtime CEO of The Second Mile, a children’s charity founded by Sandusky, announced his resignation yesterday, while the Big Ten Conference said it removed Paterno’s name from its conference championship trophy.
Jack Raykovitz, who headed the charity for 28 years, is the latest official to leave a post tied to Sandusky since child sex-abuse charges were filed against the former defensive coordinator on November 5.
“Although the allegations against Jerry Sandusky and the alleged incidents occurred outside Second Mile programs and events, this does not change the fact that the alleged sexual abuse involved Second Mile program children, nor does it lessen the terrible impact of sexual abuse on its victims,” according to a press release from the organization.
The Pennsylvania attorney general has said that Sandusky used the charity to prey on young boys and that he met each of the eight boys mentioned in the grand jury report through the foundation.
In stripping Paterno’s name from the trophy for their inaugural championship game, Big Ten officials changed the name to Stagg Championship Trophy in honor of the late University of Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. It will be presented next month when the Big Ten holds its first championship game under its new two-division format.
“The trophy and its namesake are intended to be celebratory and aspirational, not controversial,” Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said in a statement. “We believe that it’s important to keep the focus on the players and the teams that will be competing in the inaugural championship game.”
As the police investigation continues, New York-based charity Fresh Air Fund said it is searching its records after a report that Sandusky briefly hosted children from the program in his home.
Meanwhile, Penn State is being urged from some quarters to turn down any bids to play in a post-season bowl game. Yes, sex scandal cover-ups have financial consequences, including forgoing millions of dollars in bowl game revenues. That I agree with, although I am not in agreement that the 2012 season should be cancelled.
Archbishop Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that the scandal “reopens a wound” for Catholics, who have endured child sex scandals involving priests for the past decade.
In addition to the firings of Paterno and Spanier, the scandal forced Athletic Director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the vice president for finance and business, to step down last week. Both men have been charged with perjury and failure to report to the authorities what they knew about the allegations involving Sandusky, Penn State’s defensive coordinator from 1977 to 1999.
9 Responses to “(UPDATED) Sandusky Denies Being A Pedophile As The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal Deepens”
and Nixon wasn’t a crook.
[...] Sandusky Denies Being A Pedophile As The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal Deepens (themoderatevoice.com) [...]
Denial has been mainstreamed in our culture, especially when it comes to abuses of power and trust. Apparently some think if they are wealthy and connected enough the conscience becomes optional. If Sandusky is tried and found guilty, he should be made an example of.
“I shouldn’t have showered with those kids”.
Damn. I’ve had to go through training in more than one organization, not to mention general principles from my parents and business associates, that say you avoid all situations where you could be accused of abuse. That is, you’re never alone with a child or the opposite sex (except for immediate family), and certainly don’t go alone into a shower facility with them.
Why didn’t they have rules against that?
Prof:
I work with student pages (as opposed to Senate pages) at the university library where I am employed and always make sure nothing I say to them can be misconstrued or taken out of context.
That someone with Sandusky’s experience would be so tone deaf to what he did does make the allegation that he is a pedophile more compelling.
I had a graduate student — a lovely woman from Eastern Europe — come on to me a few years ago and politely but firmly rebuffed her advances. I also immediately wrote down an account of what had occurred and gave it to my lawyer. Nothing further happened, but one cannot be too careful.
I watched that interview and it seems that there is more to notice in the undertones than in what is actually said. For example, Sandusky takes a long pause after being asked if he’s attracted to young boys to answer– repeating the question several times before qualifying his answer, when a simple NO! would have sent a clearer message.
Also admitting to what he admitted to fits the pattern of the pedophile– I read elsewhere that a mother of a victim begged him years ago to stop showering with young boys and he refused- which should have been a red flag to anyone paying attention. Is he only sorry now because he was caught and is now facing prosecution?
bluebelle:
Thank you for the perspective and the additional info.
I certainly agree with the comments about ‘appearance of guilt’ with respect to being alone with a minor…
But I also find it odd to even be discussing that issue when the man admits to showering with young boys! I mean, come on…being in that situation is way over the line, rather than a case of simply being alone in a room together where there could either be a misunderstanding or a false allegation of what transpired. Adults showering with young kids who are in their care is simply beyond what any reasonable person would think is appropriate, even if nothing else was known to have happened. it is not itself one of those innocent encounters that could be misunderstood.
[...] values not the other way around. ( bold truth) Let me example: you read about this case perhaps? (UPDATED) Sandusky Denies Being A Pedophile As The Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal Deepens | The Modera… Now notice the stark difference and some similarity Similar: 1. Case about pedophiles 2. Laws on [...]