Jeffrey Sandusky, son of Jerry Sandusky, pleads guilty in child sex abuse case
September 15, 2017
Jeffrey Sandusky, son of Jerry Sandusky, pleaded guilty to child sex abuse charges on Friday, exactly one week before his trial was set to begin.
Centre County District Attorney Stacy Parks Miller announced Friday night that Sandusky, 41, of State College, had pleaded guilty to "all charges," which includes 12 felonies.
Jeff Sandusky is one of the notorious former Penn State football assistant's adopted children.
He was accused of soliciting two girls, ages 15 and 16, for oral sex and nude photos.
When the older teen refused to send Sandusky the photographs he demanded, Parks Miller said, he became more insistent, badgering her to comply over a two day period. Sandusky sought pictures of her "pissing", dressing, naked body parts and nudes. Sandusky instructed the victim in follow-up texts to delete the messages and to not tell anyone, Parks Miller said.
Sandusky's requests were rebuffed by both underage girls, who instead reported the alleged conduct to their parents, state police at Rockview said.
http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/09/jeffrey_sandusky_pleads_guilty.html
Showing posts with label Penn State. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Penn State. Show all posts
Friday, September 15, 2017
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Joe Paterno was told Jerry Sandusky abused a 14-year-old boy in 1976, according to testimony in newly unsealed documents
Joe Paterno was told Jerry Sandusky abused a 14-year-old boy in 1976, according to testimony in newly unsealed documents
BY Amara Grautski Leonard Greene NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Court documents say famed Penn State coach Joe Paterno was aware as far back as 1976 that his top assistant was abusing boys, and years later other coaches knew, too, including future Rutgers and NFL coach Greg Schiano.
In testimony about the shameful Jerry Sandusky scandal, a graduate assistant said Schiano and another up-and-coming coach, Tom Bradley, kept silent about Sandusky’s crimes.
The testimony came in 2015 from ex-Penn State assistant Mike McQueary, who was a key witness in the Sandusky criminal case because he reported to Paterno seeing Sandusky rape a boy in 2001.
In his testimony, McQueary said he "briefly" discussed with Bradley what he had seen. Bradley, who is currently UCLA's defensive coordinator, was a Joe Paterno assistant from 1979 to 2011 and replaced Sandusky as Penn State's defensive coordinator. Bradley was Penn State's interim head coach after Paterno was fired....
In 1976, a 14-year-old victim told Paterno that Sandusky touched him while attending a football camp at the university, penetrating his rectum with his finger as he showered, according to the Washington Post.
John Doe 150, according to the newly unsealed court documents, testified that he told Paterno of the sexual assault and the coach ignored his complaint.
“Is it accurate that Coach Paterno quickly said to you, ‘I don’t want to hear about any of that kind of stuff, I have a football season to worry about?'” the victim's lawyer asked him in 2014.
“Specifically. Yes … I was shocked, disappointed, offended," the man replied. "I was insulted … I said, is that all you’re going to do? You’re not going to do anything else?....
Sandusky, 72, was convicted in 2012 of molesting 10 boys and is serving 30 to 60 years in state prison.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/paterno-told-sandusky-child-abuse-1976-court-docs-article-1.2708038
New court documents suggest others at Penn State knew of Jerry Sandusky abuse
A man testified in court in 2014 that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno ignored his complaints of a sexual assault committed by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky in 1976 when the man was a 14-year-old boy, according to newly unsealed court documents.
By Will Hobson and Cindy Boren July 12, 2016
In 2014, a man testified that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno ignored his complaints of a sexual assault committed by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky in 1976 when the man was a 14-year-old boy, according to new court documents unsealed Tuesday in a Philadelphia court.
Four other former assistant football coaches at the school also were aware of Sandusky acting inappropriately with boys before law enforcement was first notified in 1998, according to testimony contained in the documents.
The allegations suggest that Paterno may have been made aware of Sandusky’s actions far earlier than has previously been reported, and that knowledge of Sandusky’s behavior may have been far more widespread among the Penn State football staff than previously known.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, both former Penn State assistants named in the documents, denied the allegations Tuesday.
The testimony of multiple victims who have settled with Penn State, and of former assistant Mike McQueary — who witnessed Sandusky raping a boy on campus in 2001 — comes as the specifics of what Paterno and others knew about Sandusky and when are still being debated in courts and in the court of public opinion in Pennsylvania....
The 1976 victim, identified in court records as John Doe 150, said that while he was attending a football camp at Penn State, Sandusky touched him as he showered. Sandusky’s finger penetrated the boy’s rectum, Doe said, and the boy asked to speak with Paterno about it. Doe testified that he specifically told Paterno that Sandusky had sexually assaulted him, and Paterno ignored it....
While law enforcement only first became aware of allegations against Sandusky in 1998, the documents released Tuesday include several incidents in the 1980s and 1990s when Penn State football coaches and officials were aware of improper behavior by Sandusky around boys.
In 1987, according to a man identified as John Doe 75, he was a 13-year-old boy when Sandusky brought him to a coaches’ meeting room and put his hand down the boy’s shorts. Assistant coach Joe Sarra walked into the room and saw them, Doe 75 testified. Startled, Sarra immediately left and closed the door behind him, and Sandusky kissed the boy on his forehead, Doe 75 testified....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/new-court-documents-suggest-others-at-penn-state-knew-of-jerry-sandusky-abuse/2016/07/12/9752f5a6-4853-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html
Child Abuse Research https://ritualabuse.us
BY Amara Grautski Leonard Greene NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Court documents say famed Penn State coach Joe Paterno was aware as far back as 1976 that his top assistant was abusing boys, and years later other coaches knew, too, including future Rutgers and NFL coach Greg Schiano.
In testimony about the shameful Jerry Sandusky scandal, a graduate assistant said Schiano and another up-and-coming coach, Tom Bradley, kept silent about Sandusky’s crimes.
The testimony came in 2015 from ex-Penn State assistant Mike McQueary, who was a key witness in the Sandusky criminal case because he reported to Paterno seeing Sandusky rape a boy in 2001.
In his testimony, McQueary said he "briefly" discussed with Bradley what he had seen. Bradley, who is currently UCLA's defensive coordinator, was a Joe Paterno assistant from 1979 to 2011 and replaced Sandusky as Penn State's defensive coordinator. Bradley was Penn State's interim head coach after Paterno was fired....
In 1976, a 14-year-old victim told Paterno that Sandusky touched him while attending a football camp at the university, penetrating his rectum with his finger as he showered, according to the Washington Post.
John Doe 150, according to the newly unsealed court documents, testified that he told Paterno of the sexual assault and the coach ignored his complaint.
“Is it accurate that Coach Paterno quickly said to you, ‘I don’t want to hear about any of that kind of stuff, I have a football season to worry about?'” the victim's lawyer asked him in 2014.
“Specifically. Yes … I was shocked, disappointed, offended," the man replied. "I was insulted … I said, is that all you’re going to do? You’re not going to do anything else?....
Sandusky, 72, was convicted in 2012 of molesting 10 boys and is serving 30 to 60 years in state prison.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/paterno-told-sandusky-child-abuse-1976-court-docs-article-1.2708038
New court documents suggest others at Penn State knew of Jerry Sandusky abuse
A man testified in court in 2014 that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno ignored his complaints of a sexual assault committed by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky in 1976 when the man was a 14-year-old boy, according to newly unsealed court documents.
By Will Hobson and Cindy Boren July 12, 2016
In 2014, a man testified that Penn State football coach Joe Paterno ignored his complaints of a sexual assault committed by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky in 1976 when the man was a 14-year-old boy, according to new court documents unsealed Tuesday in a Philadelphia court.
Four other former assistant football coaches at the school also were aware of Sandusky acting inappropriately with boys before law enforcement was first notified in 1998, according to testimony contained in the documents.
The allegations suggest that Paterno may have been made aware of Sandusky’s actions far earlier than has previously been reported, and that knowledge of Sandusky’s behavior may have been far more widespread among the Penn State football staff than previously known.
Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and UCLA defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, both former Penn State assistants named in the documents, denied the allegations Tuesday.
The testimony of multiple victims who have settled with Penn State, and of former assistant Mike McQueary — who witnessed Sandusky raping a boy on campus in 2001 — comes as the specifics of what Paterno and others knew about Sandusky and when are still being debated in courts and in the court of public opinion in Pennsylvania....
The 1976 victim, identified in court records as John Doe 150, said that while he was attending a football camp at Penn State, Sandusky touched him as he showered. Sandusky’s finger penetrated the boy’s rectum, Doe said, and the boy asked to speak with Paterno about it. Doe testified that he specifically told Paterno that Sandusky had sexually assaulted him, and Paterno ignored it....
While law enforcement only first became aware of allegations against Sandusky in 1998, the documents released Tuesday include several incidents in the 1980s and 1990s when Penn State football coaches and officials were aware of improper behavior by Sandusky around boys.
In 1987, according to a man identified as John Doe 75, he was a 13-year-old boy when Sandusky brought him to a coaches’ meeting room and put his hand down the boy’s shorts. Assistant coach Joe Sarra walked into the room and saw them, Doe 75 testified. Startled, Sarra immediately left and closed the door behind him, and Sandusky kissed the boy on his forehead, Doe 75 testified....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/new-court-documents-suggest-others-at-penn-state-knew-of-jerry-sandusky-abuse/2016/07/12/9752f5a6-4853-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html
Child Abuse Research https://ritualabuse.us
Monday, November 30, 2015
Penn State has paid more than $92M as a result of Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal: report , At Worcester hearing, depositions in Bill Cosby defamation case ordered next August
Penn State has paid more than $92M as a result of Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal: report
BY Andy Clayton NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, November 26, 2015
The Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal has already cost Penn State University more than $92 million.
The shocking dollar figure - up from the original $60 million - was made public at the same time it was revealed Penn State could still face claims from six or more alleged victims, NBC News is reporting.
Sandusky, 71, is spending 30 to 60 years behind bars after he was found guilty in October 2012 of abusing 10 boys over the course of 15 years. The long-time defensive coordinator for legendary Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno used his "Second Mile" charity for troubled kids to find and identify his victims. Many of the assaults took place at Penn State athletic department facilities.
The convicted pedophile claims he is innocent of all charges and is seeking a new trial. He admitted to showering with boys, but said he never molested them.... http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/penn-state-paid-92m-result-jerry-sandusky-scandal-article-1.2447621
At Worcester hearing, depositions in Bill Cosby defamation case ordered next August
By Brad Petrishen Telegram & Gazette Staff Nov. 30, 2015
WORCESTER – A federal magistrate judge Monday signaled opposition to efforts by lawyers for Bill Cosby to shield court documents in his defamation case from public view and, contrary to several defense requests, ordered depositions to be completed by next summer.
“It was a good day,” said Joseph Cammarata, the Washington, D.C., lawyer for a recently expanded contingent of women who allege the famous comedian defamed them by denying their accusations of sexual assault.
Four women added their names to the lawsuit earlier in November, making a total of seven women from five states. The assaults allegedly occurred between 1969 and 1990, with Mr. Cosby allegedly making the defamatory statements to the media between 2005 and 2014.
Mr. Cosby – who has been accused of drugging and raping dozens of women over several decades – has not been charged with a crime. As most of the allegations have emerged within the past year, they fall outside the statute of limitations for criminal conduct.... http://www.telegram.com/article/20151130/NEWS/151139944
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Dennis Hastert pleads not guilty on all counts, Facebook Frat Whistleblower: Penn State Did Nothing for Months After I Told Them About Abuse
Dennis Hastert pleads not guilty on all counts
By Chris Frates, Bill Kirkos and Tom LoBianco, CNN June 9, 2015
Washington (CNN)Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to lying to the FBI about $3.5 million he agreed to pay to an undisclosed subject to "cover up past misconduct."
Hastert was arraigned in court in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, amid reports he allegedly sexually abused former students.
The former House speaker has hired high-profile white collar crime lawyer Thomas Green to defend him in court. Green has defended clients involved in Watergate, Iran Contra and Whitewater.
Judge Thomas Durkin is allowing Hastert to be released on a pretrial release. Hastert had to sign and appearance bond of $4,500 which he forfeits if he fails to appear.
He was also barred from carrying firearms, had to surrender his passport and cooperate in giving a sample of DNA.
Hastert faces charges of lying to federal investigators and hiding bank transactions as part of a plan to pay $3.5 million in hush money to one of his victims, identified only as "Individual A". Law enforcement sources confirmed a second alleged victim was interviewed by them and the sister of a third alleged victim told ABC that her brother had been molested by Hastert....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/09/politics/dennis-hastert-arraignment-appearing-in-court/
Facebook Frat Whistleblower: Penn State Did Nothing for Months After I Told Them About Abuse
James Vivenzio filed a lawsuit against Penn State today in Philadelphia court. The school “strongly disputes” his allegations.
By Holly Otterbein June 8, 2015
Did Penn State learn anything in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal?
Not if you believe a lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of James Vivenzio, the 21-year-old whistleblower who told authorities this January that the fraternity Kappa Delta Rho was running a secret Facebook page where members allegedly posted images of nude, unconscious women, drug sales and hazing.
At a Monday press conference about his lawsuit, Vivenzio, a former KDR brother, and his lawyer Aaron Freiwald made a number of stunning allegations about the frat and Penn State. Perhaps the most shocking among them is that Vivenzio said he told university officials about KDR's alleged Facebook page months before he went to the police, but they did nothing.
Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said in a statement that the university "strongly disputes the allegations in this complaint."....
Vivenzio said that he initially told university officials about KDR's alleged hazing by calling Penn State's anonymous hazing hotline. Freiwald said that "was very quickly leaked, he found out, to all the members of the fraternity, and an effort was then made within the fraternity house to figure out who the 'rat' was."
Then, in April 2014 — about eight months before Vivenzio went to the police — he said he met with Danny Shaha, a senior investigator in Penn State's Office of Student Conduct, to discuss his experience at KDR. He said he told Shaha about the alleged hazing, drug sales and Facebook pages, and showed him reams of evidence, including text messages and screen shots. Since then, no one from Penn State has met with Vivenzio to discuss his allegations or to collect the evidence to this day, according to the lawsuit. Freiwald said the first time the university took action to address Vivenzio's concerns, as far as he knows, was last month, when it announced it was shutting down the the KDR chapter for three years. PSU vehemently denied this.
Spokeswoman Powers said the school "offered [Vivenzio] extraordinary assistance on numerous occasions," but "neither he nor his family were willing to file a complaint, provide documentation, speak with State College police or participate in pursuing the formal disciplinary process available to them, despite repeated encouragement from university staff." She also said Vivenzio did not tell university officials about the alleged Facebook page.
Finally, Vivenzio decided to tell the police about his concerns in January of this year. His allegations prompted an investigation into KDR, which is ongoing. Still, according to Freiwald, police only contacted him for a follow-up meeting as recently as a couple weeks ago. Due to scheduling conflicts, he said, they still have not met.
http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/06/08/penn-state-kappa-delta-rho-facebook-frat/
By Chris Frates, Bill Kirkos and Tom LoBianco, CNN June 9, 2015
Washington (CNN)Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert has pleaded not guilty to all charges related to lying to the FBI about $3.5 million he agreed to pay to an undisclosed subject to "cover up past misconduct."
Hastert was arraigned in court in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, amid reports he allegedly sexually abused former students.
The former House speaker has hired high-profile white collar crime lawyer Thomas Green to defend him in court. Green has defended clients involved in Watergate, Iran Contra and Whitewater.
Judge Thomas Durkin is allowing Hastert to be released on a pretrial release. Hastert had to sign and appearance bond of $4,500 which he forfeits if he fails to appear.
He was also barred from carrying firearms, had to surrender his passport and cooperate in giving a sample of DNA.
Hastert faces charges of lying to federal investigators and hiding bank transactions as part of a plan to pay $3.5 million in hush money to one of his victims, identified only as "Individual A". Law enforcement sources confirmed a second alleged victim was interviewed by them and the sister of a third alleged victim told ABC that her brother had been molested by Hastert....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/09/politics/dennis-hastert-arraignment-appearing-in-court/
Facebook Frat Whistleblower: Penn State Did Nothing for Months After I Told Them About Abuse
James Vivenzio filed a lawsuit against Penn State today in Philadelphia court. The school “strongly disputes” his allegations.
By Holly Otterbein June 8, 2015
Did Penn State learn anything in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal?
Not if you believe a lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of James Vivenzio, the 21-year-old whistleblower who told authorities this January that the fraternity Kappa Delta Rho was running a secret Facebook page where members allegedly posted images of nude, unconscious women, drug sales and hazing.
At a Monday press conference about his lawsuit, Vivenzio, a former KDR brother, and his lawyer Aaron Freiwald made a number of stunning allegations about the frat and Penn State. Perhaps the most shocking among them is that Vivenzio said he told university officials about KDR's alleged Facebook page months before he went to the police, but they did nothing.
Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said in a statement that the university "strongly disputes the allegations in this complaint."....
Vivenzio said that he initially told university officials about KDR's alleged hazing by calling Penn State's anonymous hazing hotline. Freiwald said that "was very quickly leaked, he found out, to all the members of the fraternity, and an effort was then made within the fraternity house to figure out who the 'rat' was."
Then, in April 2014 — about eight months before Vivenzio went to the police — he said he met with Danny Shaha, a senior investigator in Penn State's Office of Student Conduct, to discuss his experience at KDR. He said he told Shaha about the alleged hazing, drug sales and Facebook pages, and showed him reams of evidence, including text messages and screen shots. Since then, no one from Penn State has met with Vivenzio to discuss his allegations or to collect the evidence to this day, according to the lawsuit. Freiwald said the first time the university took action to address Vivenzio's concerns, as far as he knows, was last month, when it announced it was shutting down the the KDR chapter for three years. PSU vehemently denied this.
Spokeswoman Powers said the school "offered [Vivenzio] extraordinary assistance on numerous occasions," but "neither he nor his family were willing to file a complaint, provide documentation, speak with State College police or participate in pursuing the formal disciplinary process available to them, despite repeated encouragement from university staff." She also said Vivenzio did not tell university officials about the alleged Facebook page.
Finally, Vivenzio decided to tell the police about his concerns in January of this year. His allegations prompted an investigation into KDR, which is ongoing. Still, according to Freiwald, police only contacted him for a follow-up meeting as recently as a couple weeks ago. Due to scheduling conflicts, he said, they still have not met.
http://www.phillymag.com/news/2015/06/08/penn-state-kappa-delta-rho-facebook-frat/
Monday, June 8, 2015
Woman Says Dennis Hastert Abused Her Brother, Paying to Hide ‘Misconduct’, Catholic Archdiocese in Minnesota Charged Over Sex Abuse by Priest, Ex-PSU student sues school over fraternity allegations
- Woman Says Dennis Hastert Abused Her Brother in High School
- Hastert Case Is Said to Be Linked to Decades-Old Sexual Abuse
- U.S. Accuses Ex-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Paying to Hide ‘Misconduct’
- Catholic Archdiocese in Minnesota Charged Over Sex Abuse by Priest
- Ex-PSU student sues school over fraternity allegations
Woman Says Dennis Hastert Abused Her Brother in High School
By JULIE BOSMAN and DAVE PHILIPPS JUNE 5, 2015
YORKVILLE, Ill. — As an enthusiastic young teacher and wrestling coach at the high school here, former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert reliably had one student at his side, former classmates say. Stephen Reinboldt, a smart, slender, likable student who rose to become class president, was the wrestling team’s equipment manager. For four years, he arrived at practice early and stayed late, traveled with Mr. Hastert to overnight tournaments, even when only one wrestler was competing, and went for long rides in the coach’s sports car, sometimes driving it.
On Friday, Mr. Reinboldt’s younger sister, Jolene Burdge, said her brother, who died in 1995, was also sexually abused by Mr. Hastert, but hid the fact for years because he thought no one would believe him.
“Mr. Hastert had plenty of opportunities to be alone with Steve because he was there before the meets,” Ms. Burdge said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “He was there after everything because he did the laundry, the uniforms.”
The allegation comes a week after Mr. Hastert, who served for eight years as House speaker, was indicted on charges of making cash withdrawals, totaling $1.7 million, to evade detection by the authorities and lying to investigators.
Two people briefed on the F.B.I. investigation told The New York Times that Mr. Hastert was using the money to pay a former student hundreds of thousands of dollars to hide the fact that Mr. Hastert sexually abused him decades ago....
Ms. Burdge said she tried for years to get news organizations, including ABC News, and advocacy groups to pursue the story. She began in 2006 after it was revealed that Mr. Hastert had covered up claims that Representative Mark Foley, a Florida Republican, had sent sexually explicit emails to congressional pages.
She said she had given up on exposing Mr. Hastert. Then, two weeks ago, just before Mr. Hastert was indicted, she was contacted by the F.B.I....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/us/sister-says-her-brother-was-a-victim-of-ex-speaker-hastert.html
Hastert Case Is Said to Be Linked to Decades-Old Sexual Abuse
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT MAY 29, 2015
WASHINGTON — J. Dennis Hastert, who served for eight years as speaker of the House of Representatives, was paying a former student hundreds of thousands of dollars to not say publicly that Mr. Hastert had sexually abused him decades ago, according to two people briefed on the evidence uncovered in an F.B.I. investigation.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced the indictment of Mr. Hastert, 73, on allegations that he made cash withdrawals, totaling $1.7 million, to evade detection by banks. The federal authorities also charged him with lying to them about the purpose of the withdrawals.
The former student — who was not identified in court papers — told the F.B.I. that he had been inappropriately touched by Mr. Hastert when the former speaker was a high school teacher and wrestling coach, the two people said Friday. The people briefed on the investigation spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a federal investigation.
It was not clear when the suspected behavior, which was first reported by The Los Angeles Times, occurred. Mr. Hastert was a high school teacher and coach in Yorkville, Ill., from 1965 to 1981, and the indictment said the recipient of the payments was from Yorkville and had known Mr. Hastert for decades....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/us/politics/hastert-indictment.html
U.S. Accuses Ex-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Paying to Hide ‘Misconduct’
By MONICA DAVEY MAY 28, 2015
CHICAGO — J. Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has been charged with lying to the F.B.I. and making cash withdrawals from banks in a way that was designed to hide that he was paying $3.5 million to someone for his “misconduct” from years ago, a federal indictment released on Thursday said.
Mr. Hastert, 73, the longest-serving Republican speaker, had worked as a lobbyist since leaving office. The indictment, announced by the United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said Mr. Hastert, who was once a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Yorkville, Ill., had so far paid $1.7 million to the person, who had lived in Yorkville and had known Mr. Hastert for most of his or her life. Mr. Hastert worked in Yorkville from 1965 to 1981.
In 2010, during meetings between Mr. Hastert and the unnamed individual, the two discussed “past misconduct” by Mr. Hastert against the person, according to the indictment....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/us/ex-house-speaker-j-dennis-hastert-indicted-on-federal-charges.html
Catholic Archdiocese in Minnesota Charged Over Sex Abuse by Priest
By MITCH SMITH JUNE 5, 2015
CHICAGO — Prosecutors in Minnesota filed criminal charges on Friday against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, accusing church leaders of mishandling repeated complaints of sexual misconduct against a priest and failing to follow through on pledges to protect children and root out pedophile clergymen.
The charges and accompanying civil petition, announced by the Ramsey County prosecutor, John J. Choi, stem from accusations by three male victims who say that from 2008 to 2010, when they were under age, a local priest, Curtis Wehmeyer, gave them alcohol and drugs before sexually assaulting them.
The criminal case amounts to a sweeping condemnation of the archdiocese and how its leaders have handled the abuse allegations — even after reforms were put in place by church leaders to increase accountability — and the charges are among the most severe actions taken by American authorities against a Catholic diocese.
“Today, we are alleging a disturbing institutional and systemic pattern of behavior committed by the highest levels of leadership of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis over the course of decades,” Mr. Choi said in a statement....
The charging documents also say that archdiocese officials knew that Mr. Wehmeyer used a boys’ bathroom at a parish elementary school instead of the staff restroom; tried to give an elementary-age boy a tour of the rectory in violation of policy; and took camping trips with boys where some of the sexual abuse was said to have occurred.
The archdiocese placed Mr. Wehmeyer in a monitoring program for priests facing complaints of abuse or other problems, but prosecutors said in court documents that the supervision and follow-through was “lax or nonexistent.”....
An Ohio judge in 2003 convicted the Archdiocese of Cincinnati of failing to report sexually abusive priests in the 1970s and ’80s. The judge fined the archdiocese $10,000, the maximum allowed, after the archbishop entered a no-contest plea....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/us/catholic-archdiocese-in-minnesota-charged-over-sex-abuse-by-priest.html
describes graphic situations
Ex-PSU student sues school over fraternity allegations
Susan Snyder, Inquirer Staff Writer Monday, June 8, 2015
James Vivenzio says he thought pledging a fraternity at Pennsylvania State University would mean brotherhood and honor.
Instead, the 21-year-old from Great Falls, Va., says, he was force-fed buckets of liquor mixed with urine, vomit, and hot sauce; made to guzzle hard alcohol until he vomited; burned on the chest with a cigarette; and once was beaten by a member of Kappa Delta Rho after he failed to participate in a ritual.
And the university, he contends in a lawsuit filed Monday in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, failed to act after he reported the abuse more than a year ago, including his telling the school about the existence of private Facebook pages fraternity members allegedly used to post revealing photos of females who may have been aware they were being photographed.
"It is not an understatement to say that I was afraid somebody could die unless the abuse, the Facebook . . . and all that was going on, were shut down permanently," Vivenzio said Monday, reading from a statement at a news conference in his lawyer's office in Center City. "I'm no hero and I'm certainly no martyr."
The filing came the same day that Kappa Delta Rho's national office announced it had expelled 38 of the 100 or so members of its Penn State chapter and put the rest on alumni status. Penn State last month suspended the chapter for three years after a university investigation found evidence of hazing, underage drinking, and sexual harassment.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and names the university, the fraternity, and the fraternity's national office as defendants....
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150609_Frat_whistle-blower_sues_Penn_State.html
- Hastert Case Is Said to Be Linked to Decades-Old Sexual Abuse
- U.S. Accuses Ex-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Paying to Hide ‘Misconduct’
- Catholic Archdiocese in Minnesota Charged Over Sex Abuse by Priest
- Ex-PSU student sues school over fraternity allegations
Woman Says Dennis Hastert Abused Her Brother in High School
By JULIE BOSMAN and DAVE PHILIPPS JUNE 5, 2015
YORKVILLE, Ill. — As an enthusiastic young teacher and wrestling coach at the high school here, former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert reliably had one student at his side, former classmates say. Stephen Reinboldt, a smart, slender, likable student who rose to become class president, was the wrestling team’s equipment manager. For four years, he arrived at practice early and stayed late, traveled with Mr. Hastert to overnight tournaments, even when only one wrestler was competing, and went for long rides in the coach’s sports car, sometimes driving it.
On Friday, Mr. Reinboldt’s younger sister, Jolene Burdge, said her brother, who died in 1995, was also sexually abused by Mr. Hastert, but hid the fact for years because he thought no one would believe him.
“Mr. Hastert had plenty of opportunities to be alone with Steve because he was there before the meets,” Ms. Burdge said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “He was there after everything because he did the laundry, the uniforms.”
The allegation comes a week after Mr. Hastert, who served for eight years as House speaker, was indicted on charges of making cash withdrawals, totaling $1.7 million, to evade detection by the authorities and lying to investigators.
Two people briefed on the F.B.I. investigation told The New York Times that Mr. Hastert was using the money to pay a former student hundreds of thousands of dollars to hide the fact that Mr. Hastert sexually abused him decades ago....
Ms. Burdge said she tried for years to get news organizations, including ABC News, and advocacy groups to pursue the story. She began in 2006 after it was revealed that Mr. Hastert had covered up claims that Representative Mark Foley, a Florida Republican, had sent sexually explicit emails to congressional pages.
She said she had given up on exposing Mr. Hastert. Then, two weeks ago, just before Mr. Hastert was indicted, she was contacted by the F.B.I....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/us/sister-says-her-brother-was-a-victim-of-ex-speaker-hastert.html
Hastert Case Is Said to Be Linked to Decades-Old Sexual Abuse
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT MAY 29, 2015
WASHINGTON — J. Dennis Hastert, who served for eight years as speaker of the House of Representatives, was paying a former student hundreds of thousands of dollars to not say publicly that Mr. Hastert had sexually abused him decades ago, according to two people briefed on the evidence uncovered in an F.B.I. investigation.
Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced the indictment of Mr. Hastert, 73, on allegations that he made cash withdrawals, totaling $1.7 million, to evade detection by banks. The federal authorities also charged him with lying to them about the purpose of the withdrawals.
The former student — who was not identified in court papers — told the F.B.I. that he had been inappropriately touched by Mr. Hastert when the former speaker was a high school teacher and wrestling coach, the two people said Friday. The people briefed on the investigation spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a federal investigation.
It was not clear when the suspected behavior, which was first reported by The Los Angeles Times, occurred. Mr. Hastert was a high school teacher and coach in Yorkville, Ill., from 1965 to 1981, and the indictment said the recipient of the payments was from Yorkville and had known Mr. Hastert for decades....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/us/politics/hastert-indictment.html
U.S. Accuses Ex-House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert of Paying to Hide ‘Misconduct’
By MONICA DAVEY MAY 28, 2015
CHICAGO — J. Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has been charged with lying to the F.B.I. and making cash withdrawals from banks in a way that was designed to hide that he was paying $3.5 million to someone for his “misconduct” from years ago, a federal indictment released on Thursday said.
Mr. Hastert, 73, the longest-serving Republican speaker, had worked as a lobbyist since leaving office. The indictment, announced by the United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said Mr. Hastert, who was once a high school teacher and wrestling coach in Yorkville, Ill., had so far paid $1.7 million to the person, who had lived in Yorkville and had known Mr. Hastert for most of his or her life. Mr. Hastert worked in Yorkville from 1965 to 1981.
In 2010, during meetings between Mr. Hastert and the unnamed individual, the two discussed “past misconduct” by Mr. Hastert against the person, according to the indictment....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/us/ex-house-speaker-j-dennis-hastert-indicted-on-federal-charges.html
Catholic Archdiocese in Minnesota Charged Over Sex Abuse by Priest
By MITCH SMITH JUNE 5, 2015
CHICAGO — Prosecutors in Minnesota filed criminal charges on Friday against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, accusing church leaders of mishandling repeated complaints of sexual misconduct against a priest and failing to follow through on pledges to protect children and root out pedophile clergymen.
The charges and accompanying civil petition, announced by the Ramsey County prosecutor, John J. Choi, stem from accusations by three male victims who say that from 2008 to 2010, when they were under age, a local priest, Curtis Wehmeyer, gave them alcohol and drugs before sexually assaulting them.
The criminal case amounts to a sweeping condemnation of the archdiocese and how its leaders have handled the abuse allegations — even after reforms were put in place by church leaders to increase accountability — and the charges are among the most severe actions taken by American authorities against a Catholic diocese.
“Today, we are alleging a disturbing institutional and systemic pattern of behavior committed by the highest levels of leadership of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis over the course of decades,” Mr. Choi said in a statement....
The charging documents also say that archdiocese officials knew that Mr. Wehmeyer used a boys’ bathroom at a parish elementary school instead of the staff restroom; tried to give an elementary-age boy a tour of the rectory in violation of policy; and took camping trips with boys where some of the sexual abuse was said to have occurred.
The archdiocese placed Mr. Wehmeyer in a monitoring program for priests facing complaints of abuse or other problems, but prosecutors said in court documents that the supervision and follow-through was “lax or nonexistent.”....
An Ohio judge in 2003 convicted the Archdiocese of Cincinnati of failing to report sexually abusive priests in the 1970s and ’80s. The judge fined the archdiocese $10,000, the maximum allowed, after the archbishop entered a no-contest plea....
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/us/catholic-archdiocese-in-minnesota-charged-over-sex-abuse-by-priest.html
describes graphic situations
Ex-PSU student sues school over fraternity allegations
Susan Snyder, Inquirer Staff Writer Monday, June 8, 2015
James Vivenzio says he thought pledging a fraternity at Pennsylvania State University would mean brotherhood and honor.
Instead, the 21-year-old from Great Falls, Va., says, he was force-fed buckets of liquor mixed with urine, vomit, and hot sauce; made to guzzle hard alcohol until he vomited; burned on the chest with a cigarette; and once was beaten by a member of Kappa Delta Rho after he failed to participate in a ritual.
And the university, he contends in a lawsuit filed Monday in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court, failed to act after he reported the abuse more than a year ago, including his telling the school about the existence of private Facebook pages fraternity members allegedly used to post revealing photos of females who may have been aware they were being photographed.
"It is not an understatement to say that I was afraid somebody could die unless the abuse, the Facebook . . . and all that was going on, were shut down permanently," Vivenzio said Monday, reading from a statement at a news conference in his lawyer's office in Center City. "I'm no hero and I'm certainly no martyr."
The filing came the same day that Kappa Delta Rho's national office announced it had expelled 38 of the 100 or so members of its Penn State chapter and put the rest on alumni status. Penn State last month suspended the chapter for three years after a university investigation found evidence of hazing, underage drinking, and sexual harassment.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and names the university, the fraternity, and the fraternity's national office as defendants....
http://www.philly.com/philly/education/20150609_Frat_whistle-blower_sues_Penn_State.html
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Paterno's 111 vacated Penn State wins restored in Sandusky suit deal, where do Jerry Sandusky's victims go to get their innocence back
Paterno's 111 vacated Penn State wins restored in Sandusky suit deal AP JAN 16, 2015
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The NCAA agreed Friday to restore 112 football wins it had stripped from Penn State — all but one of which belonged to Joe Paterno — in the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal and to reinstate the venerated late coach as the winningest in major college football history.
The agreement, swiftly approved by the boards of the NCAA and the university after intermittent talks heated up this week, lifts the last of the sanctions imposed in 2012 and wipes away the black marks that had tainted one of the nation's most celebrated college athletics programs.
After more than two years of criticism that the NCAA had overstepped its authority, officials with college sports' governing body did not back down. Instead, they said they were focused on ending litigation that had held up distribution of the university's $60 million fine to fund child abuse-prevention programs.
Before the deal, the NCAA had agreed last year to eliminate some of the sanctions, including reinstating Penn State's full complement of scholarships and letting the team participate in post-season play.
Friday's agreement threw out the rest of the sanctions, including eliminating a five-year probation period and scholarship and transfer rules, and restoring the wins that had been wiped out. It also bowed to Pennsylvania officials' desire to see the $60 million fine spent in Pennsylvania, not spread to abuse-prevention programs around the nation....
Freeh's report accused Paterno and other top Penn State officials of burying child sex-abuse allegations against Sandusky to avoid bad publicity. The report portrayed the Hall of Fame coach as more deeply involved in the scandal than previously thought.
The alleged cover-up by Paterno, then-university President Graham Spanier and two other Penn State administrators allowed Sandusky to prey on other boys for years, it said.
Paterno was never charged with a crime, although Spanier and the two other former administrators continue to fight charges in court....
Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts and is now serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence.
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/penn-state-joe-paterno-wins-ncaa-sanctions-consent-decree-freeh-report-jerry-sandusky-011615
Joe Paterno wins again, but where do Jerry Sandusky's victims go to get their innocence back?
By Kevin Scarbinsky January 16, 2015
Now that that's settled, now that the NCAA has caved for the final time on its attempt to do the right thing in the wake of the worst scandal in major college football history, now that the late Joe Paterno has had his precious vacated victories restored, a question:
Where do Jerry Sandusky's victims go to get their innocence back?
That is what the whole sordid Penn State mess was about, wasn't it? A long-time defensive coordinator, while he was doing that job and afterward, roamed the town, the campus and the football building, preying on children and sexually abusing them....
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/with_joe_paternos_wins_restore.html
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The NCAA agreed Friday to restore 112 football wins it had stripped from Penn State — all but one of which belonged to Joe Paterno — in the Jerry Sandusky child-molestation scandal and to reinstate the venerated late coach as the winningest in major college football history.
The agreement, swiftly approved by the boards of the NCAA and the university after intermittent talks heated up this week, lifts the last of the sanctions imposed in 2012 and wipes away the black marks that had tainted one of the nation's most celebrated college athletics programs.
After more than two years of criticism that the NCAA had overstepped its authority, officials with college sports' governing body did not back down. Instead, they said they were focused on ending litigation that had held up distribution of the university's $60 million fine to fund child abuse-prevention programs.
Before the deal, the NCAA had agreed last year to eliminate some of the sanctions, including reinstating Penn State's full complement of scholarships and letting the team participate in post-season play.
Friday's agreement threw out the rest of the sanctions, including eliminating a five-year probation period and scholarship and transfer rules, and restoring the wins that had been wiped out. It also bowed to Pennsylvania officials' desire to see the $60 million fine spent in Pennsylvania, not spread to abuse-prevention programs around the nation....
Freeh's report accused Paterno and other top Penn State officials of burying child sex-abuse allegations against Sandusky to avoid bad publicity. The report portrayed the Hall of Fame coach as more deeply involved in the scandal than previously thought.
The alleged cover-up by Paterno, then-university President Graham Spanier and two other Penn State administrators allowed Sandusky to prey on other boys for years, it said.
Paterno was never charged with a crime, although Spanier and the two other former administrators continue to fight charges in court....
Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts and is now serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence.
http://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/penn-state-joe-paterno-wins-ncaa-sanctions-consent-decree-freeh-report-jerry-sandusky-011615
Joe Paterno wins again, but where do Jerry Sandusky's victims go to get their innocence back?
By Kevin Scarbinsky January 16, 2015
Now that that's settled, now that the NCAA has caved for the final time on its attempt to do the right thing in the wake of the worst scandal in major college football history, now that the late Joe Paterno has had his precious vacated victories restored, a question:
Where do Jerry Sandusky's victims go to get their innocence back?
That is what the whole sordid Penn State mess was about, wasn't it? A long-time defensive coordinator, while he was doing that job and afterward, roamed the town, the campus and the football building, preying on children and sexually abusing them....
http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/01/with_joe_paternos_wins_restore.html
Monday, September 8, 2014
Matt Sandusky silent no more works to stop abuse, NCAA Restores Penn State's Postseason Eligibility, Rotherham child abuse scandal: council chief executive to step down, Irish Catholic leader apologises for child abuse as he steps down
Matt Sandusky, silent no more, works to stop abuse
By Elizabeth Simpson The Virginian-Pilot September 8, 2014
VIRGINIA BEACH
The turning point, for Matthew Sandusky, was the 2012 courtroom testimony of Victim No. 4.
The witness's description of sexual abuse mirrored Matthew's own experience so vividly it moved him to disclose to police that he, too, had been molested by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky - who was also his adoptive father.
At the time, Matthew wished he also could have been identified by a number instead of a name, to shield his wife and children.
"Our world turned upside down," Matthew, 35, said in a phone interview from State College, Pa., last week. "We lost family. We lost friends. It felt like everyone was against us and blaming us for everything. We were really alone."
His father was convicted, and this year, Matthew has used that famous last name to become a national activist to help people disclose and recover from sexual abuse....
"I want to empower people to get help if they feel alone," he said.
It's been a brutal journey for him, one that led him to legally change his last name, and those of his wife and children, from Sandusky to one he doesn't publicize.
He now reserves the Sandusky name that once opened doors and secured him a tuition break at Penn State for another reason: to raise awareness of child sexual abuse.
Matthew was first listed as a witness to defend his adopted father, but during the trial, the testimony of Victim No. 4 was so similar to his own that he went to the police and disclosed the abuse, hoping it would not be made public.
An audio recording was leaked to the media, but he never had to take the stand in the 2012 trial. Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 charges of child sex abuse and given a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison.
Matthew met him when he was 7 years old through The Second Mile charity camp. The abuse began the next year and continued into his teens, he said....
In the phone interview, Matthew said he was confused about the abuse as a child because it was not physically painful, and it seemed like a fair trade-off for the financial and emotional stability of the Sandusky household, something he didn't have from his biological family.
In the end, though, he realized there was nothing fair, or emotionally stable, about it.... http://hamptonroads.com/2014/09/matt-sandusky-silent-no-more-works-stop-abuse http://goo.gl/HIJ7N5
NCAA Restores Penn State's Postseason Eligibility, Football Scholarships 9/08/2014
There is likely nothing more horrifying or despicable in college football’s history than the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The legal fallout was immense, with Sandusky locked away for what most assume will be the rest of his life and another three Penn State officials are still standing trial for their alleged roles in covering up Sandusky’s actions. Many also called on the NCAA to drop the hammer on the football program that facilitated decades of child abuse, and the governing body did not disappoint: Penn State was forced to pay $60 million over a five-year period, plus the football team was hit with a four-year bowl ban and a loss of 20 football scholarships.
And yet on Monday, the NCAA announced that its executive committee has restored Penn State’s postseason eligibility, effective immediately, and next season the team will return to a full complement of 85 scholarships, which accelerates an easing of the sanctions already made last year. These changes are based on recommendations made in a report from George Mitchell, the school’s external athletic integrity monitor. Mitchell, who is responsible for monitoring Penn State’s efforts to enact recommendations made in the Freeh Report, cited the school’s progress since the sanctions were handed down two years ago, including the formation of a comprehensive compliance program.
It’s curious that the NCAA would agree to so radically mitigate sanctions stemming from what is the single most horrible scandal in its history, especially considering that the NCAA rarely diminishes punishments for even far less serious violations. For one example, Big Ten rival Ohio State was hit with NCAA sanctions in 2011 after it was discovered that some players traded memorabilia for money and tattoos; that punishment was never modified at a later date, and the team is still playing with a reduced number of scholarships.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/09/08/ncaa-restores-penn-states-postseason-eligibility-football-scholarships/
SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT ATHLETICS INTEGRITY MONITOR PURSUANT TO THE ATHLETICS INTEGRITY AGREEMENT AMONG THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE AND THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AS EXTERNAL MONITOR APPOINTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY http://www.dlapiper.com/~/media/Files/Insights/Publications/2014/09/NCAAMonitorsSecondAnnualReport.pdf
Rotherham child abuse scandal: council chief executive to step down Martin Kimber,chief executive of the council at the centre of the child exploitation scandal, will quit at the end of the year
Helen Pidd, northern editor
theguardian.com, Monday 8 September 2014
The chief executive of Rotherham council is to step down, saying a new leader would help the town recover after it emerged councillors, police and social services turned a blind eye to the abuse of at least 1,400 children....
The independent Jay inquiry into historical cases of child sexual exploitation highlighted serious failings by agencies in the town involved in protecting children and young people.
Jay said the most "blatant" failures took place from 1997-2009. Kimber joined the authority in 2009. His predecessors all insist they were unaware of the scale of abuse perpetrated under their watch.... http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/08/rotherham-child-abuse-council-leader-martin-kimber-quits
Irish Catholic leader apologises for child abuse as he steps down
Agence France-Presse September 8, 2014
Cardinal Sean Brady, who was criticised over his handling of abuse scandals, stepped down as leader of the Irish Catholic Church on Monday with an emotional plea for forgiveness.
"I too need to say sorry and to ask forgiveness and I do so again today," Brady told the faithful at a mass in Armagh in Northern Ireland.
Brady, who played a key role in the peace process after being appointed in 1996, had tendered his resignation to the Vatican last month after turning 75, the normal retirement age for senior clergy.
His years as leader of the Irish church coincided with a series of damning revelations of widespread clerical sex abuse.
Brady himself became directly embroiled in accusations that he mishandled child abuse allegations during an investigation into notorious paedophile Father Brendan Smyth.
In 1975, as a young priest and canon lawyer investigating the actions of Smyth, Brady did not report the allegations of abuse to the police. Smyth continued to abuse children until his arrest and conviction in the 1990s.
A television documentary in 2012 revealed Brady did not act when given the names of five other children abused by Smyth.... http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140908/irish-catholic-leader-apologises-child-abuse-he-steps-down
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre releases ‘shocking’ report
Monday, September 8, 2014
THE Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s (DRCC) Annual Report has revealed the highest number of calls to their 24-hour helpline since 2009.
A total of 12,192 contacts were answered by the DRCC’s National 24-Hour Helpline, including 9,614 “genuine” calls, an increase of five per cent compared with 2012 figures.
A total of 43 per cent of these calls relate to adult rape, an increase of three per cent compared to 2012.
The report also indicates that 231 victims of rape and sexual assault were accompanied by trained DRCC volunteers at the Rotunda Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in 2013....
Other findings include the fact that the majority of callers (78 per cent) were female and 22 per cent were men; 43 per cent of calls related to adult rape; nine per cent of calls related to adult sexual assault; 53 per cent of calls related to adult sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and trafficking and 47 per cent of calls related to childhood sexual abuse, including ritual abuse and suspected abuse.... http://www.dublinpeople.com/article.php?id=4026&l=100
By Elizabeth Simpson The Virginian-Pilot September 8, 2014
VIRGINIA BEACH
The turning point, for Matthew Sandusky, was the 2012 courtroom testimony of Victim No. 4.
The witness's description of sexual abuse mirrored Matthew's own experience so vividly it moved him to disclose to police that he, too, had been molested by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky - who was also his adoptive father.
At the time, Matthew wished he also could have been identified by a number instead of a name, to shield his wife and children.
"Our world turned upside down," Matthew, 35, said in a phone interview from State College, Pa., last week. "We lost family. We lost friends. It felt like everyone was against us and blaming us for everything. We were really alone."
His father was convicted, and this year, Matthew has used that famous last name to become a national activist to help people disclose and recover from sexual abuse....
"I want to empower people to get help if they feel alone," he said.
It's been a brutal journey for him, one that led him to legally change his last name, and those of his wife and children, from Sandusky to one he doesn't publicize.
He now reserves the Sandusky name that once opened doors and secured him a tuition break at Penn State for another reason: to raise awareness of child sexual abuse.
Matthew was first listed as a witness to defend his adopted father, but during the trial, the testimony of Victim No. 4 was so similar to his own that he went to the police and disclosed the abuse, hoping it would not be made public.
An audio recording was leaked to the media, but he never had to take the stand in the 2012 trial. Jerry Sandusky was convicted of 45 charges of child sex abuse and given a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison.
Matthew met him when he was 7 years old through The Second Mile charity camp. The abuse began the next year and continued into his teens, he said....
In the phone interview, Matthew said he was confused about the abuse as a child because it was not physically painful, and it seemed like a fair trade-off for the financial and emotional stability of the Sandusky household, something he didn't have from his biological family.
In the end, though, he realized there was nothing fair, or emotionally stable, about it.... http://hamptonroads.com/2014/09/matt-sandusky-silent-no-more-works-stop-abuse http://goo.gl/HIJ7N5
NCAA Restores Penn State's Postseason Eligibility, Football Scholarships 9/08/2014
There is likely nothing more horrifying or despicable in college football’s history than the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. The legal fallout was immense, with Sandusky locked away for what most assume will be the rest of his life and another three Penn State officials are still standing trial for their alleged roles in covering up Sandusky’s actions. Many also called on the NCAA to drop the hammer on the football program that facilitated decades of child abuse, and the governing body did not disappoint: Penn State was forced to pay $60 million over a five-year period, plus the football team was hit with a four-year bowl ban and a loss of 20 football scholarships.
And yet on Monday, the NCAA announced that its executive committee has restored Penn State’s postseason eligibility, effective immediately, and next season the team will return to a full complement of 85 scholarships, which accelerates an easing of the sanctions already made last year. These changes are based on recommendations made in a report from George Mitchell, the school’s external athletic integrity monitor. Mitchell, who is responsible for monitoring Penn State’s efforts to enact recommendations made in the Freeh Report, cited the school’s progress since the sanctions were handed down two years ago, including the formation of a comprehensive compliance program.
It’s curious that the NCAA would agree to so radically mitigate sanctions stemming from what is the single most horrible scandal in its history, especially considering that the NCAA rarely diminishes punishments for even far less serious violations. For one example, Big Ten rival Ohio State was hit with NCAA sanctions in 2011 after it was discovered that some players traded memorabilia for money and tattoos; that punishment was never modified at a later date, and the team is still playing with a reduced number of scholarships.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2014/09/08/ncaa-restores-penn-states-postseason-eligibility-football-scholarships/
SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT ATHLETICS INTEGRITY MONITOR PURSUANT TO THE ATHLETICS INTEGRITY AGREEMENT AMONG THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, THE BIG TEN CONFERENCE AND THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND AS EXTERNAL MONITOR APPOINTED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY http://www.dlapiper.com/~/media/Files/Insights/Publications/2014/09/NCAAMonitorsSecondAnnualReport.pdf
Rotherham child abuse scandal: council chief executive to step down Martin Kimber,chief executive of the council at the centre of the child exploitation scandal, will quit at the end of the year
Helen Pidd, northern editor
theguardian.com, Monday 8 September 2014
The chief executive of Rotherham council is to step down, saying a new leader would help the town recover after it emerged councillors, police and social services turned a blind eye to the abuse of at least 1,400 children....
The independent Jay inquiry into historical cases of child sexual exploitation highlighted serious failings by agencies in the town involved in protecting children and young people.
Jay said the most "blatant" failures took place from 1997-2009. Kimber joined the authority in 2009. His predecessors all insist they were unaware of the scale of abuse perpetrated under their watch.... http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/08/rotherham-child-abuse-council-leader-martin-kimber-quits
Irish Catholic leader apologises for child abuse as he steps down
Agence France-Presse September 8, 2014
Cardinal Sean Brady, who was criticised over his handling of abuse scandals, stepped down as leader of the Irish Catholic Church on Monday with an emotional plea for forgiveness.
"I too need to say sorry and to ask forgiveness and I do so again today," Brady told the faithful at a mass in Armagh in Northern Ireland.
Brady, who played a key role in the peace process after being appointed in 1996, had tendered his resignation to the Vatican last month after turning 75, the normal retirement age for senior clergy.
His years as leader of the Irish church coincided with a series of damning revelations of widespread clerical sex abuse.
Brady himself became directly embroiled in accusations that he mishandled child abuse allegations during an investigation into notorious paedophile Father Brendan Smyth.
In 1975, as a young priest and canon lawyer investigating the actions of Smyth, Brady did not report the allegations of abuse to the police. Smyth continued to abuse children until his arrest and conviction in the 1990s.
A television documentary in 2012 revealed Brady did not act when given the names of five other children abused by Smyth.... http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140908/irish-catholic-leader-apologises-child-abuse-he-steps-down
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre releases ‘shocking’ report
THE Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s (DRCC) Annual Report has revealed the highest number of calls to their 24-hour helpline since 2009.
A total of 12,192 contacts were answered by the DRCC’s National 24-Hour Helpline, including 9,614 “genuine” calls, an increase of five per cent compared with 2012 figures.
A total of 43 per cent of these calls relate to adult rape, an increase of three per cent compared to 2012.
The report also indicates that 231 victims of rape and sexual assault were accompanied by trained DRCC volunteers at the Rotunda Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in 2013....
Other findings include the fact that the majority of callers (78 per cent) were female and 22 per cent were men; 43 per cent of calls related to adult rape; nine per cent of calls related to adult sexual assault; 53 per cent of calls related to adult sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and trafficking and 47 per cent of calls related to childhood sexual abuse, including ritual abuse and suspected abuse.... http://www.dublinpeople.com/article.php?id=4026&l=100
Friday, June 20, 2014
Review of Penn State child-abuse probe. Dark net 'used by tens of thousands of paedophiles', Anti-paedophile police fight child porn 'epidemic', Pakistani woman raped, killed and hanged from tree: police, Indian Village Feels Aftershocks of Rape
- Review of Penn State child-abuse probe to be issued on Monday
- Dark net 'used by tens of thousands of paedophiles'
- Paedophile use of dark net increases for child abuse images
- Anti-paedophile police fight child porn 'epidemic'
- Pakistani woman raped, killed and hanged from tree: police
- Indian Village Feels Aftershocks of Rape
Review of Penn State child-abuse probe to be issued on Monday
Reuters 6/20/14
(Reuters) - A long-awaited probe into the investigation of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing children, will be released early next week, Pennsylvania authorities said on Friday.
Sandusky, the once-legendary assistant football coach, was convicted in 2012 of abusing 10 boys from 1994 to 2009, some in the Penn State showers, and is serving 30 to 60 years in prison. In 2013, the school agreed to pay $59.7 million to the victims.
The report, prepared by former federal prosecutor H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr. at the request of state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, will be released at a news conference on Monday, the attorney general's office said in a statement....
http://news.yahoo.com/review-penn-state-child-abuse-probe-issued-monday-171146715--spt.html
Dark net 'used by tens of thousands of paedophiles'
By Angus Crawford BBC News 19 June 2014
Tens of thousands of paedophiles are using the so-called dark net to trade images of sexual abuse, an investigation by BBC News indicates.
One site receives as many as 500 page views per second, its founder says.
Figures from another site suggest Brits are heavily involved in producing and distributing illegal obscene images.
Britain's National Crime Agency warned in its 2014 threat assessment that abusers were turning to anonymous sites and encryption technology.
The dark net is the term used to refer to parts of the internet that are hidden and can be hard to access without special software.
One of the most popular products used to access such areas is called the TorBrowser....
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27885502
Paedophile use of dark net increases for child abuse images
By Barclay Ballard 6/20/14
Tens of thousands of paedophiles are using the dark net to circulate images of sexual abuse, according to a report by the BBC.
The National Crime Agency said that abusers were increasingly turning to encryption software to maintain anonymity. The dark net is a hidden part of the Internet which can only be accessed by special software, one of the most popular of which is the TorBrowser.
This enables people to use Tor, an "onion-routing" system, which bounces encrypted data through several randomly selected servers on the network, making a PC's net address untraceable....
During the BBC investigation, the broadcaster contacted an active paedophile who ran one of the illegal chat rooms, until it closed in May 2014.
"We had over 40,000 user accounts on the site. We used to get sometimes 500 page views per second. My own collection is 12 gigabytes", he said....
http://betanews.com/2014/06/20/paedophile-use-of-dark-net-increases-for-child-abuse-images/
Anti-paedophile police fight child porn 'epidemic'
By Angus Crawford BBC News 18 June 2014
The internet trade in images that show child sex abuse is now "an epidemic", according to the head of the global initiative to combat the problem.
Police officers from around the world serve on the Virtual Global Taskforce.
Its chairman, Ian Quinn, tells the BBC there has been an "explosion" in cases handled by US authorities.
The US alone has 61 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) units, each made up of state, local police and federal agents....
Online images accumulate
In 2002 the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reviewed and confirmed 45,055 examples of obscene images of children found online (some of these were duplicates)
In 2013 the figure had grown to 23,881,197
As of May 2014, the centre had reviewed 112 million files containing images of child sexual abuse....
Predator detentions
In 2003, 339 arrests were made worldwide in connection with Operation Predator
In 2013, the number had grown to 2,099
To date, the total number of arrests linked to the operation totals 10,608....
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27872401
Pakistani woman raped, killed and hanged from tree: police
Reuters 6/20/14
MULTAN Pakistan (Reuters) - A 20-year-old woman has been gang-raped, killed and hanged from a tree in Pakistan in a case with a chilling resemblance to a double rape and murder that caused outrage in neighbouring India last month.
Pakistani police said Muzammil Bibi, 20, was attacked by three men in a field in the impoverished Layyah area of densely populated Punjab province....
http://news.yahoo.com/pakistani-woman-raped-killed-hanged-tree-police-163615646.html
Indian Village Feels Aftershocks of Rape
Politicians Visit Hamlet of Two Girls Killed Last Week as Families Recall 'Best Friends,' Their Final Walk to the Chili Field
By Jesse Pesta and Krishna Pokharel June 1, 2014
KATARA SADATGANJ, India—VIPs swept into this isolated village over the weekend as outrage rippled through India and beyond over the country's latest case of violent sexual abuse.
Two girls were allegedly raped and then hanged from a mango tree here last week. After a photo of the dead girls circled the globe, some of India's most prominent politicians came to this hamlet of mud-and-brick huts, while the murders have reinvigorated calls for India to address the persistent problem of violence against women.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/indian-village-feels-aftershocks-of-rape-1401669669
- Dark net 'used by tens of thousands of paedophiles'
- Paedophile use of dark net increases for child abuse images
- Anti-paedophile police fight child porn 'epidemic'
- Pakistani woman raped, killed and hanged from tree: police
- Indian Village Feels Aftershocks of Rape
Review of Penn State child-abuse probe to be issued on Monday
Reuters 6/20/14
(Reuters) - A long-awaited probe into the investigation of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing children, will be released early next week, Pennsylvania authorities said on Friday.
Sandusky, the once-legendary assistant football coach, was convicted in 2012 of abusing 10 boys from 1994 to 2009, some in the Penn State showers, and is serving 30 to 60 years in prison. In 2013, the school agreed to pay $59.7 million to the victims.
The report, prepared by former federal prosecutor H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr. at the request of state Attorney General Kathleen Kane, will be released at a news conference on Monday, the attorney general's office said in a statement....
http://news.yahoo.com/review-penn-state-child-abuse-probe-issued-monday-171146715--spt.html
Dark net 'used by tens of thousands of paedophiles'
By Angus Crawford BBC News 19 June 2014
Tens of thousands of paedophiles are using the so-called dark net to trade images of sexual abuse, an investigation by BBC News indicates.
One site receives as many as 500 page views per second, its founder says.
Figures from another site suggest Brits are heavily involved in producing and distributing illegal obscene images.
Britain's National Crime Agency warned in its 2014 threat assessment that abusers were turning to anonymous sites and encryption technology.
The dark net is the term used to refer to parts of the internet that are hidden and can be hard to access without special software.
One of the most popular products used to access such areas is called the TorBrowser....
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27885502
Paedophile use of dark net increases for child abuse images
By Barclay Ballard 6/20/14
Tens of thousands of paedophiles are using the dark net to circulate images of sexual abuse, according to a report by the BBC.
The National Crime Agency said that abusers were increasingly turning to encryption software to maintain anonymity. The dark net is a hidden part of the Internet which can only be accessed by special software, one of the most popular of which is the TorBrowser.
This enables people to use Tor, an "onion-routing" system, which bounces encrypted data through several randomly selected servers on the network, making a PC's net address untraceable....
During the BBC investigation, the broadcaster contacted an active paedophile who ran one of the illegal chat rooms, until it closed in May 2014.
"We had over 40,000 user accounts on the site. We used to get sometimes 500 page views per second. My own collection is 12 gigabytes", he said....
http://betanews.com/2014/06/20/paedophile-use-of-dark-net-increases-for-child-abuse-images/
Anti-paedophile police fight child porn 'epidemic'
By Angus Crawford BBC News 18 June 2014
The internet trade in images that show child sex abuse is now "an epidemic", according to the head of the global initiative to combat the problem.
Police officers from around the world serve on the Virtual Global Taskforce.
Its chairman, Ian Quinn, tells the BBC there has been an "explosion" in cases handled by US authorities.
The US alone has 61 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) units, each made up of state, local police and federal agents....
Online images accumulate
In 2002 the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reviewed and confirmed 45,055 examples of obscene images of children found online (some of these were duplicates)
In 2013 the figure had grown to 23,881,197
As of May 2014, the centre had reviewed 112 million files containing images of child sexual abuse....
Predator detentions
In 2003, 339 arrests were made worldwide in connection with Operation Predator
In 2013, the number had grown to 2,099
To date, the total number of arrests linked to the operation totals 10,608....
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27872401
Pakistani woman raped, killed and hanged from tree: police
Reuters 6/20/14
MULTAN Pakistan (Reuters) - A 20-year-old woman has been gang-raped, killed and hanged from a tree in Pakistan in a case with a chilling resemblance to a double rape and murder that caused outrage in neighbouring India last month.
Pakistani police said Muzammil Bibi, 20, was attacked by three men in a field in the impoverished Layyah area of densely populated Punjab province....
http://news.yahoo.com/pakistani-woman-raped-killed-hanged-tree-police-163615646.html
Indian Village Feels Aftershocks of Rape
Politicians Visit Hamlet of Two Girls Killed Last Week as Families Recall 'Best Friends,' Their Final Walk to the Chili Field
By Jesse Pesta and Krishna Pokharel June 1, 2014
KATARA SADATGANJ, India—VIPs swept into this isolated village over the weekend as outrage rippled through India and beyond over the country's latest case of violent sexual abuse.
Two girls were allegedly raped and then hanged from a mango tree here last week. After a photo of the dead girls circled the globe, some of India's most prominent politicians came to this hamlet of mud-and-brick huts, while the murders have reinvigorated calls for India to address the persistent problem of violence against women.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/indian-village-feels-aftershocks-of-rape-1401669669
Monday, October 28, 2013
Penn State to pay $59.7M to 26 Sandusky victims
Penn State to pay $59.7M to 26 Sandusky victims
John Bacon, USA TODAY October 28, 2013
Penn State will pay $59.7 million to 26 sexual abuse victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, the school said Monday.
The terms of the settlements include confidentiality agreements, the school said in a press release. Of the 26 settlements, 23 are signed and three are agreements in principle, with final documentation expected within the next few weeks.
"The Board of Trustees has had as one of its primary objectives to reach settlements in a way that is fair and respects the privacy of the individuals involved," Keith Masser, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "This is another important milestone in accomplishing that goal."
University President Rodney Erickson called the agreements "another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by Mr. Sandusky, and another step forward for Penn State."....
Sandusky, 69, was convicted in June 2012 of 45 criminal counts involving abuse over a 15-year period....
In July, a Pennsylvania judge ordered three former Penn State officials, including ousted former president Graham Spanier, to stand trial on criminal charges related to an alleged coverup that temporarily shielded Sandusky from law enforcement scrutiny....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/28/sandusky-penn-state-abuse/3287619/
John Bacon, USA TODAY October 28, 2013
Penn State will pay $59.7 million to 26 sexual abuse victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, the school said Monday.
The terms of the settlements include confidentiality agreements, the school said in a press release. Of the 26 settlements, 23 are signed and three are agreements in principle, with final documentation expected within the next few weeks.
"The Board of Trustees has had as one of its primary objectives to reach settlements in a way that is fair and respects the privacy of the individuals involved," Keith Masser, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in a statement. "This is another important milestone in accomplishing that goal."
University President Rodney Erickson called the agreements "another step forward in the healing process for those hurt by Mr. Sandusky, and another step forward for Penn State."....
Sandusky, 69, was convicted in June 2012 of 45 criminal counts involving abuse over a 15-year period....
In July, a Pennsylvania judge ordered three former Penn State officials, including ousted former president Graham Spanier, to stand trial on criminal charges related to an alleged coverup that temporarily shielded Sandusky from law enforcement scrutiny....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/28/sandusky-penn-state-abuse/3287619/
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Judge: No new trial for Penn State's Sandusky in sex abuse case, Justice Shouldn't Expire - HBO Films presents: MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD
Judge: No new trial for Penn State's Sandusky in sex abuse case By Mark Scolforo , The Associated Press 1/30/13
Jerry Sandusky lost a bid for a new trial Wednesday when a judge rejected his argument that his lawyers were not given enough time to prepare for the three-week proceeding that ended with a 45-count guilty verdict.
Judge John Cleland's 27-page order said lawyers for the former Penn State assistant football coach conceded that their post-trial review turned up no material that would have changed their trial strategy.
"I do not think it can be said that either of the defendant's trial counsel failed to test the prosecution's case in a meaningful manner," Cleland wrote. "The defendant's attorneys subjected the commonwealth's witnesses to meaningful and effective cross-examination, presented evidence for the defense and presented both a comprehensive opening statement and a clearly developed closing argument."....
Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for sexual abuse of 10 boys, including violent attacks on the children inside Penn State athletics facilities.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/30/16774674-judge-no-new-trial-for-penn-states-sandusky-in-sex-abuse-case
Justice Shouldn't Expire - HBO Documentary
By James R. Marsh on January 31, 2013
HBO Films presents: MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD http://www.childlaw.us/2013/01/justice-shouldnt-expire---hbo-.html
MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD investigates the secret crimes of Father Lawrence Murphy, a charismatic Milwaukee priest who abused more than 200 Deaf children in a school under his control. The film documents the first known public protest against clerical sex abuse in the U.S., which led to a case that spanned three decades and ultimately resulted in a lawsuit against the pontiff himself. The investigation helped uncover documents from the secret Vatican archives that show the Pope, who must operate within the mysterious rules of the Roman Curia, as both responsible and helpless in the face of evil. https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/mea-maxima-culpa/index.html
Jerry Sandusky lost a bid for a new trial Wednesday when a judge rejected his argument that his lawyers were not given enough time to prepare for the three-week proceeding that ended with a 45-count guilty verdict.
Judge John Cleland's 27-page order said lawyers for the former Penn State assistant football coach conceded that their post-trial review turned up no material that would have changed their trial strategy.
"I do not think it can be said that either of the defendant's trial counsel failed to test the prosecution's case in a meaningful manner," Cleland wrote. "The defendant's attorneys subjected the commonwealth's witnesses to meaningful and effective cross-examination, presented evidence for the defense and presented both a comprehensive opening statement and a clearly developed closing argument."....
Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for sexual abuse of 10 boys, including violent attacks on the children inside Penn State athletics facilities.
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/30/16774674-judge-no-new-trial-for-penn-states-sandusky-in-sex-abuse-case
Justice Shouldn't Expire - HBO Documentary
By James R. Marsh on January 31, 2013
HBO Films presents: MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD http://www.childlaw.us/2013/01/justice-shouldnt-expire---hbo-.html
MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD investigates the secret crimes of Father Lawrence Murphy, a charismatic Milwaukee priest who abused more than 200 Deaf children in a school under his control. The film documents the first known public protest against clerical sex abuse in the U.S., which led to a case that spanned three decades and ultimately resulted in a lawsuit against the pontiff himself. The investigation helped uncover documents from the secret Vatican archives that show the Pope, who must operate within the mysterious rules of the Roman Curia, as both responsible and helpless in the face of evil. https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/mea-maxima-culpa/index.html
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Penn State charges raise questions about Paterno's culpability, Jimmy Savile case may lead to inquiry against seven forces
Penn State charges raise questions about Paterno's culpability
Charges that three former university administrators covered up child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky suggest former Coach Joe Paterno could have been charged had he lived, some say.
By Peter Hall, Morning Call
November 4, 2012
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The charges filed last week accusing three former Penn State administrators of engaging in a "conspiracy of silence" to cover up child sexual abuse allegations against Jerry Sandusky raise questions about whether legendary football Coach Joe Paterno could have been charged if he were still living.
Former university President Graham Spanier and the others face charges including perjury and endangering the welfare of children.
"To be fair and consistent, you have to read this as a posthumous indictment of Joe Paterno," said law professor Wes Oliver of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh....
Those who have watched the case said the grand jury presentment released Thursday paints Paterno as an active participant in the conspiracy.
"The reality is that he knew. He knew early on, and he chose to protect the image of the football program and to protect Penn State," said Jennifer Storm, a victims advocate who has worked with two of the young men Sandusky molested when they were boys.
But Bruce Antkowiak, a former federal prosecutor who teaches at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., said that without knowing everything that state prosecutors in the case know, it's not fair to conclude that there was probable cause to charge Paterno.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-paterno-20121104,0,5553402.story
Jimmy Savile case may lead to inquiry against seven forces
Calls for inspectorate to assess how abuse allegations were handled by police
Jamie Doward, Mark Townsend and Gemma O'Neill
The Observer, Saturday 3 November 2012
Several police forces could be investigated over their handling of sexual abuse allegations against Jimmy Savile after the police watchdog confirmed that an inquiry was a possibility and a lawyer representing alleged victims said there were urgent questions to be answered.
Alan Collins, a solicitor at the law firm Pannone, who is representing five of Savile's alleged victims and has been approached by at least 20 others, said the case for the police to be investigated had become paramount. Collins said it should be the job of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the independent body set up to assess police forces, to investigate how and when officers had investigated Savile....
At least three forces – Surrey, Sussex and Jersey – are known to have been aware of allegations against Savile, but the true number is believed to be as high as seven.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/03/jimmy-savile-case-inquiry
Sunday, September 30, 2012
A Dr. Phil Exclusive: Child Prostitute Links Sandusky to Pedophile Ring
A Dr. Phil Exclusive: Child Prostitute Links Sandusky to Pedophile Ring
September 28, 2012
As Jerry Sandusky awaits sentencing on 45 counts of sexual abuse against boys, new allegations have surfaced that he was involved in a tri-state child porn ring. Forty-eight-year-old Greg Bucceroni has come forward, saying that as a young boy in 1979, Ed Savitz — now deceased, then-advocate for at-risk children — arranged for him to have sex with Sandusky, whom he says everyone called "The Coach." Though the encounter never happened, Greg speaks out in a Dr. Phil exclusive about the horrors he says he lived through as a child. Hear how he says he was manipulated into the dark and dangerous world of drugs and child prostitution.
And learn why, after 34 years, he says he's finally telling his secret. Greg insists he tried getting the police involved at the time of the alleged abuse, to no avail. Why does he believe no one listened? Plus, 30-year-old Travis Weaver — the only alleged victim of Sandusky to reveal his identity — speaks out about the sexual abuse he says he suffered at the hands of his "hero." This show contains strong sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised....
Greg says he believes the child prostitution ring is still operating today. "Every time they went after Savitz, they only focused on Savitz, even though they had information about others," he says. "They never went after the network. This is the first time they're going after the network, at a federal level."
Travis says he feels Penn State should've done more to protect him. He's currently suing the university along with Sandusky and The Second Mile. Travis' attorney, Marci Hamilton, explains the basis of the lawsuit: "Penn State must have known that Jerry Sandusky was engaging in sex abuse," she says. "It was negligent and reckless to let Sandusky near these kids."
http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1880/
September 28, 2012
As Jerry Sandusky awaits sentencing on 45 counts of sexual abuse against boys, new allegations have surfaced that he was involved in a tri-state child porn ring. Forty-eight-year-old Greg Bucceroni has come forward, saying that as a young boy in 1979, Ed Savitz — now deceased, then-advocate for at-risk children — arranged for him to have sex with Sandusky, whom he says everyone called "The Coach." Though the encounter never happened, Greg speaks out in a Dr. Phil exclusive about the horrors he says he lived through as a child. Hear how he says he was manipulated into the dark and dangerous world of drugs and child prostitution.
And learn why, after 34 years, he says he's finally telling his secret. Greg insists he tried getting the police involved at the time of the alleged abuse, to no avail. Why does he believe no one listened? Plus, 30-year-old Travis Weaver — the only alleged victim of Sandusky to reveal his identity — speaks out about the sexual abuse he says he suffered at the hands of his "hero." This show contains strong sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised....
Greg says he believes the child prostitution ring is still operating today. "Every time they went after Savitz, they only focused on Savitz, even though they had information about others," he says. "They never went after the network. This is the first time they're going after the network, at a federal level."
Travis says he feels Penn State should've done more to protect him. He's currently suing the university along with Sandusky and The Second Mile. Travis' attorney, Marci Hamilton, explains the basis of the lawsuit: "Penn State must have known that Jerry Sandusky was engaging in sex abuse," she says. "It was negligent and reckless to let Sandusky near these kids."
http://www.drphil.com/shows/show/1880/
Friday, September 21, 2012
What Scout abuse scandal teaches us
What Scout abuse scandal teaches us
By Patrick Boyle, Special to CNN
September 20, 2012
(CNN) -- After being smacked in the face by wave upon wave of sex abuse scandals for the past decade, it's easy to feel nothing but angry or numb.
So Joe Paterno's statue came down, a slew of dioceses went bankrupt, and thousands of once-secret documents about molesters in the Boy Scouts will soon be made public. It's fair to ask: Have we learned anything?
That makes it a good time to step back and look beyond individual villains to the big picture. When you put together the stories of Penn State, the Roman Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts and other organizations hit by abuse scandals, you see they reacted in much the same way. Their behavior was shocking, but it was more common than we knew.
Thanks to lawsuits and news reports, we now see this: For decades, some of our most trusted institutions -- from schools, camps and sports leagues to correctional facilities, foster care agencies and religious groups -- have inadvertently enabled child molesters at the expense of victims. While leaders in many youth-serving organizations have confronted the abuse problem head-on, others routinely erred on the side of molesters, ignored the extent of abuse in their ranks, hid abuse from authorities and misled the public.
Why? To protect the good work of their organizations. They lost their perspective on where organizational protection ends and child protection begins....
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/20/opinion/boyle-boy-scouts-abuse-scandal/index.html
By Patrick Boyle, Special to CNN
September 20, 2012
(CNN) -- After being smacked in the face by wave upon wave of sex abuse scandals for the past decade, it's easy to feel nothing but angry or numb.
So Joe Paterno's statue came down, a slew of dioceses went bankrupt, and thousands of once-secret documents about molesters in the Boy Scouts will soon be made public. It's fair to ask: Have we learned anything?
That makes it a good time to step back and look beyond individual villains to the big picture. When you put together the stories of Penn State, the Roman Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts and other organizations hit by abuse scandals, you see they reacted in much the same way. Their behavior was shocking, but it was more common than we knew.
Thanks to lawsuits and news reports, we now see this: For decades, some of our most trusted institutions -- from schools, camps and sports leagues to correctional facilities, foster care agencies and religious groups -- have inadvertently enabled child molesters at the expense of victims. While leaders in many youth-serving organizations have confronted the abuse problem head-on, others routinely erred on the side of molesters, ignored the extent of abuse in their ranks, hid abuse from authorities and misled the public.
Why? To protect the good work of their organizations. They lost their perspective on where organizational protection ends and child protection begins....
http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/20/opinion/boyle-boy-scouts-abuse-scandal/index.html
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
ABC to interview Sandusky abuse case's Victim 1, One in Three Victims of Teen Dating Violence Has Had More Than One Abuser
ABC to interview Sandusky abuse case's Victim 1
September 19, 2012 Associated Press
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – ABC will interview the young man whose 2009 allegations of sexual abuse led to the Penn State scandal and the criminal conviction of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky....
Sandusky was convicted in June of dozens of criminal counts of sexual abuse of 10 boys on and off campus. At age 68, he awaits sentencing, which likely will send him to prison for the rest of his life.
Victim 1 and his mother reported Sandusky to the boy's high school and the Clinton County child protective agency in November 2009. Their complaint triggered a state investigation that last year resulted in criminal charges against Sandusky and against two university officials accused of failing to report suspected child abuse and of lying to a grand jury.
According to a lawsuit that Victim 1 filed against Penn State, he met Sandusky about eight years ago, when he was 11 and was a first-year participant in a camp sponsored by Sandusky's charity, The Second Mile....Sandusky was accused of fondling the boy and performing oral sex on him multiple times over a period of several years.
Sandusky, who is jailed, didn't testify at trial but maintains his innocence. He has acknowledged he showered with boys but denied molesting them. His wife, Dottie Sandusky, testified that she never saw him doing anything inappropriate with boys he took to their home.
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/09/19/abc-to-interview-sandusky-abuse-case-victim-1/
One in Three Victims of Teen Dating Violence Has Had More Than One Abuser
ScienceDaily (Sep. 18, 2012) — More than one-third of young adults who reported being victims of dating violence as teenagers had two or more abusive partners, a new study suggests.
The study involved 271 college students who recalled dating violence -- including physical, sexual and psychological abuse -- from ages 13 to 19.
Overall, nearly two-thirds of both men and women reported some type of abuse during their teenage years, which falls in line with other studies.
But it was surprising how many teen victims had two or more abusive partners, said Amy Bonomi, lead author of the study and associate professor of human development and family science at Ohio State University.
"For about one in three teens who were abused, it wasn't just one bad boyfriend or girlfriend. It may have been at least the start of a trend," Bonomi said....
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120918145030.htm
Dating violence victimization across the teen years: Abuse frequency, number of abusive partners, and age at first occurrence Amy E Bonomi, Melissa Anderson, Julianna Nemeth, Suzanne Bartle-Haring, Cynthia Buettner and Deborah Schipper BMC Public Health 2012, 12:637 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-637
Published: 10 August 2012....
Results
Fully 64.7 percent of females and 61.7 percent of males reported dating violence victimization between age 13 and 19, with most experiencing multiple occurrences. More than one-third of abused females had two or more abusive partners: controlling behavior (35.6 percent); put downs/name calling (37.0); pressured sex (42.9); insults (44.3); slapped/hit (50.0); and threats (62.5). Males also had two or more abusive partners, as follows: controlling behavior (42.1 percent); insults (51.2); put downs (53.3); threats (55.6); and unwanted calls/text messages (60.7). Among abused females, 44.7 percent first experienced controlling behavior between age 13 and 15, whereas the majority (62.5 percent) first experienced pressured sex between age 16 and 17. Among males, for most abuse types, 16 percent to 30 percent of victimization began before age 15.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/637/abstract
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
A Critic at Large - In Plain View How child molesters get away with it
A Critic at Large - In Plain View
How child molesters get away with it.
by Malcolm Gladwell September 24, 2012
In a 2001 book, “Identifying Child Molesters,” the psychologist Carla van Dam tells the story of a young Canadian elementary-school teacher she calls Jeffrey Clay. Clay taught physical education. He was well liked by his students, and often he asked boys in his class to stay after school, to do homework and help him with chores. One day, just before winter break, three of the boys made a confession to their parents. Mr. Clay had touched them under their pants. The parents went to the principal. He confronted Clay, who denied everything. The principal knew Clay and was convinced by him.....
“We weren’t really prepared to call the police and make it into a police investigation,” one of the mothers told van Dam. “It was an indiscretion, as far as we were concerned at this point. It was all vague: ‘Well, he put his hands down there.’ And, ‘Well, it was inside the pants, but fingers went to here.’ We were all still trying to protect Mr. Clay’s reputation, and the possibility this was all blown up out of proportion and there was a mistake.”
The families then learned that there had been a previous complaint by a child against Clay, and they took their case to the school superintendent....
The allegations against Clay, he thought, were simply the result of the fact that he was “young and energetic.” Clay threatened to sue. The parents dropped their case. Clay was a man repeatedly accused of putting his hands down the pants of young boys. Parents complained. Superiors investigated. And what happened? The school psychologist called him a victim of hysteria.....
We now know what Sandusky was really doing with the Second Mile. He was setting up a pipeline of young troubled boys. Just as important, though, he was establishing his bona fides. Psychologists call this “grooming”—the process by which child molesters ingratiate themselves into the communities they wish to exploit. “Many molesters confirmed that they would spend anywhere from two to three years getting established in a new community before molesting any children,” van Dam writes. One pedophile she interviewed would hang out in bars, looking for adults who seemed to be having difficulties at home. He would lend a comforting ear, and then start to help out....
The pedophile is often imagined as the dishevelled old man baldly offering candy to preschoolers. But the truth is that most of the time we have no clue what we are dealing with. A fellow-teacher at Mr. Clay’s school, whose son was one of those who complained of being fondled, went directly to Clay after she heard the allegations. “I didn’t do anything to those little boys,” Clay responded. “I’m innocent. . . . Would you and your husband stand beside me if it goes to court?” Of course, they said. People didn’t believe that Clay was a pedophile because people liked Clay—without realizing that Clay was in the business of being likable....
This is standard child-molester tradecraft. The successful pedophile does not select his targets arbitrarily. He culls them from a larger pool, testing and probing until he finds the most vulnerable. Clay, for example, first put himself in a place with easy access to children—an elementary school. Then he worked his way through his class. He began by simply asking boys if they wanted to stay after school. “Those who could not do so without parental permission were screened out,” van Dam writes. Children with vigilant parents are too risky. Those who remained were then caressed on the back, first over the shirt and then, if there was no objection from the child, under the shirt. “The child’s response was evaluated by waiting to see what was reported to the parents,” she goes on. “Parents inquiring about this behavior were told by Mr. Clay that he had simply been checking their child for signs of chicken pox. Those children were not targeted further.” The rest were “selected for more contact,” gradually moving below the belt and then to the genitals....
Sandusky started with wrestling, to make physical touch seem normal. In the shower, the boy initially turned on a showerhead a few feet from Sandusky. Sandusky told him to use the shower next to him. This was a test. The boy complied. Then came the bear hug. The boy’s back was touching Sandusky’s chest and his feet touched Sandusky’s thigh. Sandusky wanted to see how the boy would react. Was this too much too soon? The boy felt “weird” and “uncomfortable.” Sandusky retreated. The following week, Sandusky showed up at the boy’s home, circling back to test the waters once again. How did the boy feel? Had he told his mother? Was he a promising lead, or too risky?....
Horsing around in the shower? That was Jerry being Jerry. It did not occur to them that the goofy, horseplaying Sandusky they thought they knew was another of Sandusky’s deceptions. Those who put all their ingenuity and energy into fooling us usually succeed. That is the lesson of a world-class swindler like Bernard Madoff, and of Donald Silva, in his parents’ bed with a ten-year-old boy and the woman he later married—not to mention Jeffrey Clay. Clay, van Dam writes, got his teaching certificate reactivated. He went on to teach the handicapped and take foster children into his home. “Needless to say,” she adds, “his expertise, enthusiasm, and exceptional generosity to those who are needy has been very much appreciated by the community in which he now lives.” Tim Curley and Gary Schultz currently face criminal charges. Graham Spanier was forced out of office last November, a few days after the grand-jury indictment of Sandusky was released....http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/09/24/120924crat_atlarge_gladwell
Child Abuse Concerns Spur Federal Takeover at North Dakota Indian Reservation
September 17, 2012 by Sarah Childress
The Bureau of Indian Affairs said Monday that it will take control of social services on a North Dakota reservation, amid concerns from federal officials that the tribe’s mismanagement of the agency led to the abuse of children on the reservation.
The reservation, home to the Spirit Lake tribe, a group of roughly 6,600 people living in a remote area of the northern United States, has been under scrutiny since August 2011, when federal officials from the bureau began working with tribal authorities to improve child safety after the local BIA office reported “serious deficiencies” at the agency.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/biographies/kind-hearted-woman/child-abuse-concerns-spur-federal-takeover-at-north-dakota-indian-reservation/
How child molesters get away with it.
by Malcolm Gladwell September 24, 2012
In a 2001 book, “Identifying Child Molesters,” the psychologist Carla van Dam tells the story of a young Canadian elementary-school teacher she calls Jeffrey Clay. Clay taught physical education. He was well liked by his students, and often he asked boys in his class to stay after school, to do homework and help him with chores. One day, just before winter break, three of the boys made a confession to their parents. Mr. Clay had touched them under their pants. The parents went to the principal. He confronted Clay, who denied everything. The principal knew Clay and was convinced by him.....
“We weren’t really prepared to call the police and make it into a police investigation,” one of the mothers told van Dam. “It was an indiscretion, as far as we were concerned at this point. It was all vague: ‘Well, he put his hands down there.’ And, ‘Well, it was inside the pants, but fingers went to here.’ We were all still trying to protect Mr. Clay’s reputation, and the possibility this was all blown up out of proportion and there was a mistake.”
The families then learned that there had been a previous complaint by a child against Clay, and they took their case to the school superintendent....
The allegations against Clay, he thought, were simply the result of the fact that he was “young and energetic.” Clay threatened to sue. The parents dropped their case. Clay was a man repeatedly accused of putting his hands down the pants of young boys. Parents complained. Superiors investigated. And what happened? The school psychologist called him a victim of hysteria.....
We now know what Sandusky was really doing with the Second Mile. He was setting up a pipeline of young troubled boys. Just as important, though, he was establishing his bona fides. Psychologists call this “grooming”—the process by which child molesters ingratiate themselves into the communities they wish to exploit. “Many molesters confirmed that they would spend anywhere from two to three years getting established in a new community before molesting any children,” van Dam writes. One pedophile she interviewed would hang out in bars, looking for adults who seemed to be having difficulties at home. He would lend a comforting ear, and then start to help out....
The pedophile is often imagined as the dishevelled old man baldly offering candy to preschoolers. But the truth is that most of the time we have no clue what we are dealing with. A fellow-teacher at Mr. Clay’s school, whose son was one of those who complained of being fondled, went directly to Clay after she heard the allegations. “I didn’t do anything to those little boys,” Clay responded. “I’m innocent. . . . Would you and your husband stand beside me if it goes to court?” Of course, they said. People didn’t believe that Clay was a pedophile because people liked Clay—without realizing that Clay was in the business of being likable....
This is standard child-molester tradecraft. The successful pedophile does not select his targets arbitrarily. He culls them from a larger pool, testing and probing until he finds the most vulnerable. Clay, for example, first put himself in a place with easy access to children—an elementary school. Then he worked his way through his class. He began by simply asking boys if they wanted to stay after school. “Those who could not do so without parental permission were screened out,” van Dam writes. Children with vigilant parents are too risky. Those who remained were then caressed on the back, first over the shirt and then, if there was no objection from the child, under the shirt. “The child’s response was evaluated by waiting to see what was reported to the parents,” she goes on. “Parents inquiring about this behavior were told by Mr. Clay that he had simply been checking their child for signs of chicken pox. Those children were not targeted further.” The rest were “selected for more contact,” gradually moving below the belt and then to the genitals....
Sandusky started with wrestling, to make physical touch seem normal. In the shower, the boy initially turned on a showerhead a few feet from Sandusky. Sandusky told him to use the shower next to him. This was a test. The boy complied. Then came the bear hug. The boy’s back was touching Sandusky’s chest and his feet touched Sandusky’s thigh. Sandusky wanted to see how the boy would react. Was this too much too soon? The boy felt “weird” and “uncomfortable.” Sandusky retreated. The following week, Sandusky showed up at the boy’s home, circling back to test the waters once again. How did the boy feel? Had he told his mother? Was he a promising lead, or too risky?....
Horsing around in the shower? That was Jerry being Jerry. It did not occur to them that the goofy, horseplaying Sandusky they thought they knew was another of Sandusky’s deceptions. Those who put all their ingenuity and energy into fooling us usually succeed. That is the lesson of a world-class swindler like Bernard Madoff, and of Donald Silva, in his parents’ bed with a ten-year-old boy and the woman he later married—not to mention Jeffrey Clay. Clay, van Dam writes, got his teaching certificate reactivated. He went on to teach the handicapped and take foster children into his home. “Needless to say,” she adds, “his expertise, enthusiasm, and exceptional generosity to those who are needy has been very much appreciated by the community in which he now lives.” Tim Curley and Gary Schultz currently face criminal charges. Graham Spanier was forced out of office last November, a few days after the grand-jury indictment of Sandusky was released....http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2012/09/24/120924crat_atlarge_gladwell
Child Abuse Concerns Spur Federal Takeover at North Dakota Indian Reservation
September 17, 2012 by Sarah Childress
The Bureau of Indian Affairs said Monday that it will take control of social services on a North Dakota reservation, amid concerns from federal officials that the tribe’s mismanagement of the agency led to the abuse of children on the reservation.
The reservation, home to the Spirit Lake tribe, a group of roughly 6,600 people living in a remote area of the northern United States, has been under scrutiny since August 2011, when federal officials from the bureau began working with tribal authorities to improve child safety after the local BIA office reported “serious deficiencies” at the agency.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/biographies/kind-hearted-woman/child-abuse-concerns-spur-federal-takeover-at-north-dakota-indian-reservation/
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Penn State accreditation in jeopardy over sex abuse scandal
Penn State accreditation in jeopardy over sex abuse scandal
By Michael Pearson, CNN Wed August 15, 2012
(CNN) -- The organization that grants academic accreditation to Penn State has warned the school that it is in danger of losing that crucial status in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, the university announced this week.
The move by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is the latest blow for the beleaguered university, which has seen its reputation clobbered and its football program hobbled after investigators found school leaders did too little to stop the abuse.
Were the commission to pull Penn State's accreditation -- which it has not done -- the school would face the loss of eligibility for federal student aid programs, guaranteed student loans, federal research grants and could lose eligibility for state aid, commission spokesman Richard Pockrass said in July....
The commission voted August 6 to place the school on warning status. Two days later, it notified Penn State officials that the school's accreditation was "in jeopardy" based on information contained in former FBI Director Louis Freeh's report on Penn State's handling of the sex-abuse allegations against Sandusky and a National Collegiate Athletic Association action against the school.
Freeh found that Penn State's leadership showed "total and consistent disregard" for youths sexually abused by Sandusky, the former assistant football coach convicted by a jury in June on 45 counts involving child sex abuse. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/14/us/penn-state-accreditation/index.html
By Michael Pearson, CNN Wed August 15, 2012
(CNN) -- The organization that grants academic accreditation to Penn State has warned the school that it is in danger of losing that crucial status in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, the university announced this week.
The move by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is the latest blow for the beleaguered university, which has seen its reputation clobbered and its football program hobbled after investigators found school leaders did too little to stop the abuse.
Were the commission to pull Penn State's accreditation -- which it has not done -- the school would face the loss of eligibility for federal student aid programs, guaranteed student loans, federal research grants and could lose eligibility for state aid, commission spokesman Richard Pockrass said in July....
The commission voted August 6 to place the school on warning status. Two days later, it notified Penn State officials that the school's accreditation was "in jeopardy" based on information contained in former FBI Director Louis Freeh's report on Penn State's handling of the sex-abuse allegations against Sandusky and a National Collegiate Athletic Association action against the school.
Freeh found that Penn State's leadership showed "total and consistent disregard" for youths sexually abused by Sandusky, the former assistant football coach convicted by a jury in June on 45 counts involving child sex abuse. He is scheduled to be sentenced in September. http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/14/us/penn-state-accreditation/index.html
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Statement of Legal Team for Sandusky Victim Number 2 with Voice Mails, Operation Tailspin Web Sting Arrests tried to meet underage girls for sex
7th man arrested in Operation Tailspin is a registered sex offender
By Sean P. McCrory Staff writer Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Operation Tailspin, an undercover Internet sex sting involving the Alachua County Sheriff's Office and other area law enforcement, landed its seventh arrest Monday evening -- this time involving a registered sex offender who has served two prison terms for attempted sexual battery of a child.
Raymond E. Wortham, 38, of 11631 NE 105th Ave. in Archer, was arrested just before 5:30 p.m. Monday and charged with three felonies -- using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony, traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child and using a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child.
Wortham's arrest follows the arrest of six other men during the undercover sting that began Wednesday and concluded Monday morning.
Wortham is alleged to have responded to an online ad posted on an e-commerce or social media site in which an adult male indicated he wanted to arrange a sexual encounter for his 14-year-old girlfriend, according to an arrest report. Wortham communicated with an undercover Alachua County law enforcement officer via phone, online messages and text messages in agreeing to a rendezvous, the report states.
Wortham then traveled to the arranged location and asked for the 14-year-old to walk out and meet him after being told she was alone, according to the report. He then was arrested.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120724/ARTICLES/120729834
Bond amounts vary widely for Operation Tailspin suspects
By Jon Silman Staff writer Wednesday, July 25, 2012
With seven men ensnared by Operation Tailspin on allegations they sought out children for sex, court records show quite a disparity in the bond amounts given to suspects with similar charges....
Seven men who authorities say were intent on having sex with children were arrested in an online undercover operation that lasted from July 18 to Monday. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and Gainesville and Alachua police departments assisted in the sting.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120724/ARTICLES/120729809
ASO: 6 arrested in Web sting, tried to meet underage girls for sex By Jon Silman Staff writer Monday, July 23, 2012
Area authorities have arrested six men over the past week in an undercover Internet sex sting dubbed Operation Tailspin.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120723/ARTICLES/120729883
STATEMENT OF LEGAL TEAM FOR SANDUSKY VICTIM NUMBER 2
July 26, 2012
To protect our client's privacy and in response to several recent media inquiries, we confirm that our legal team, which includes Joel Feller and Matt Casey of the Philadelphia law firm of Ross Feller Casey, LLP, and State College-based attorneys Justine Andronici and Andrew Shubin, represents the person identified as Victim 2.
Our client suffered extensive sexual abuse over many years both before and after the 2001 incident Michael McQueary witnessed in the Penn State Lasch building shower. Penn State has now admitted and there is no longer any question that its top officials could have and should have prevented these acts. Jerry Sandusky's abuse of Victim 2 and other children is a direct result of a conspiracy to conceal Sandusky's conduct and the decisions by top Penn State officials that facilitated and enabled his access to victims. We intend to file a civil lawsuit against Penn State University and others and to hold them accountable for the egregious and reckless conduct that facilitated the horrific abuse our client suffered.
web page has voice mails believed to be from Sandusky
http://www.rossfellercasey.com/sandusky-voicemail
By Sean P. McCrory Staff writer Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Operation Tailspin, an undercover Internet sex sting involving the Alachua County Sheriff's Office and other area law enforcement, landed its seventh arrest Monday evening -- this time involving a registered sex offender who has served two prison terms for attempted sexual battery of a child.
Raymond E. Wortham, 38, of 11631 NE 105th Ave. in Archer, was arrested just before 5:30 p.m. Monday and charged with three felonies -- using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony, traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child and using a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child.
Wortham's arrest follows the arrest of six other men during the undercover sting that began Wednesday and concluded Monday morning.
Wortham is alleged to have responded to an online ad posted on an e-commerce or social media site in which an adult male indicated he wanted to arrange a sexual encounter for his 14-year-old girlfriend, according to an arrest report. Wortham communicated with an undercover Alachua County law enforcement officer via phone, online messages and text messages in agreeing to a rendezvous, the report states.
Wortham then traveled to the arranged location and asked for the 14-year-old to walk out and meet him after being told she was alone, according to the report. He then was arrested.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120724/ARTICLES/120729834
Bond amounts vary widely for Operation Tailspin suspects
By Jon Silman Staff writer Wednesday, July 25, 2012
With seven men ensnared by Operation Tailspin on allegations they sought out children for sex, court records show quite a disparity in the bond amounts given to suspects with similar charges....
Seven men who authorities say were intent on having sex with children were arrested in an online undercover operation that lasted from July 18 to Monday. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office and Gainesville and Alachua police departments assisted in the sting.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120724/ARTICLES/120729809
ASO: 6 arrested in Web sting, tried to meet underage girls for sex By Jon Silman Staff writer Monday, July 23, 2012
Area authorities have arrested six men over the past week in an undercover Internet sex sting dubbed Operation Tailspin.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120723/ARTICLES/120729883
STATEMENT OF LEGAL TEAM FOR SANDUSKY VICTIM NUMBER 2
July 26, 2012
To protect our client's privacy and in response to several recent media inquiries, we confirm that our legal team, which includes Joel Feller and Matt Casey of the Philadelphia law firm of Ross Feller Casey, LLP, and State College-based attorneys Justine Andronici and Andrew Shubin, represents the person identified as Victim 2.
Our client suffered extensive sexual abuse over many years both before and after the 2001 incident Michael McQueary witnessed in the Penn State Lasch building shower. Penn State has now admitted and there is no longer any question that its top officials could have and should have prevented these acts. Jerry Sandusky's abuse of Victim 2 and other children is a direct result of a conspiracy to conceal Sandusky's conduct and the decisions by top Penn State officials that facilitated and enabled his access to victims. We intend to file a civil lawsuit against Penn State University and others and to hold them accountable for the egregious and reckless conduct that facilitated the horrific abuse our client suffered.
web page has voice mails believed to be from Sandusky
http://www.rossfellercasey.com/sandusky-voicemail
Sunday, July 22, 2012
How I Came To Talk About My Abuse, NCAA Penn State Sandusky Sanctions, Paterno Statue Removed
also:
- NCAA could fine Penn State as much as $60M as part of Sandusky sanctions
- Nightly News | Aired on July 22, 2012 Coach Joe Paterno statue removed
How I Came To Talk About My Abuse
07/19/2012 Carissa Phelps - Attorney, Author
When Carissa Phelps was 14 years old she found herself in a last-chance rehab facility for young people, on the verge of becoming another casualty of the streets. What had started out as frequent sleepovers at friends' houses to escape the wrath of her stepfather and her chaotic, impoverished home, grew into full-fledged running away, until her exasperated mother finally abandoned her at Fresno's Juvenile Hall. She was 12 years old.
From this point, Carissa pinballed between the streets and various group homes or state run facilities. She experienced trauma that no child should have to endure at the hands of a brutal pimp, who made her walk the streets. But by some miracle she survived, and the child victim grew up to be a strong, successful woman, driven by her desire to pay it forward by helping kids in need.
RUNAWAY GIRL: Escaping Life on the Streets, One Helping Hand at a Time (Viking, $26.95), by Carissa Phelps, co-authored with Larkin Warren, is her story. Here, she explains why she decided to tell her story, and how people misrepresent what she went through....
When we call sexual exploitation of youth something like "prostitution" we put all the blame where it does not belong. We focus on the youth, on the child, on their behavior. In the recent Sandusky hearing, the questions were not about the child's "promiscuous" or "needy" behavior that led to their being easy targets for abuse. Today, the focus is not on what a child victim is wearing or that they may have admired or sought out the person that was abusing them. Thankfully for the Sandusky victims and for many other child sexual abuse victims we've gotten past that type of victim blaming when it comes to straight child sexual abuse. However, for the children and youth that are commercially sexually exploited we are still far off.
What I experienced was not prostitution. I was twelve. I was abused. There was nothing about it that made me feel like I was in control. It was the opposite. I belonged to someone. He controlled me. He played games with me to get me to obey him and to make sure that I knew he was the boss. Up until that point I had rebelled against all adults, so it was odd for me to follow his rules, but he made sure I knew that he was in control....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carissa-phelps/child-abuse-runaway-girl_b_1686791.html
NCAA could fine Penn State as much as $60M as part of Sandusky sanctions
By Jerry Hinnen | College Football and Olympics Blogger
July 22, 2012
The NCAA will fine Penn State at least $30 million and perhaps as much as $60 million for its involvement in the Jerry Sandusky scandal, industry sources told CBSSports.com's Brett McMurphy.
The record fine will go toward an endowment for children's causes, sources said.
"This is a fine like no fine before," an industry source told CBSSports.com.
CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd has reported Penn State will face "significant penalties that could severely damage the football program's ability to compete" when the NCAA announces sanctions against the football program at a 9 a.m. news conference Monday.
To put the fine in perspective, Penn State's athletic department had $116 million in revenue for the 2010-11 school year, the most recent data available according to figures from the U.S. Department of Education's Equity in Athletics.
A source told CBS News correspondent Armen Keteyian that Penn State will suffer "unprecedented" punishment for its collective failure to report Sandusky, recently convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse, to the proper authorities.
"I've never seen anything like it," the source told Keteyian, indicating that both the football program and the school itself would face sanctions....
Bob Williams, the NCAA's vice president of communications, said after the Freeh report was released that Penn State needed to answer "four key questions, concerning compliance with institutional control and ethics policies."
Likely of particular interest to the NCAA were the report's conclusions that the school had "decentralized and uneven" oversight of compliance issues - laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
"Certain departments monitored their own compliance issues with very limited resources," the report found. Ensuring compliance with the federal Clery Act, which requires the reporting of crimes, was handled by someone with "minimal time."....
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/19632027/ncaa-to-sanction-penn-state-source-says-school-may-prefer-death-penalty
Nightly News | Aired on July 22, 2012 Coach Joe Paterno statue removed
A statue of famed Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has been removed following the report that he knew Jerry Sandusky was being investigated for child sex abuse. NBC’s Michael Isikoff reports.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48278494
- NCAA could fine Penn State as much as $60M as part of Sandusky sanctions
- Nightly News | Aired on July 22, 2012 Coach Joe Paterno statue removed
How I Came To Talk About My Abuse
07/19/2012 Carissa Phelps - Attorney, Author
When Carissa Phelps was 14 years old she found herself in a last-chance rehab facility for young people, on the verge of becoming another casualty of the streets. What had started out as frequent sleepovers at friends' houses to escape the wrath of her stepfather and her chaotic, impoverished home, grew into full-fledged running away, until her exasperated mother finally abandoned her at Fresno's Juvenile Hall. She was 12 years old.
From this point, Carissa pinballed between the streets and various group homes or state run facilities. She experienced trauma that no child should have to endure at the hands of a brutal pimp, who made her walk the streets. But by some miracle she survived, and the child victim grew up to be a strong, successful woman, driven by her desire to pay it forward by helping kids in need.
RUNAWAY GIRL: Escaping Life on the Streets, One Helping Hand at a Time (Viking, $26.95), by Carissa Phelps, co-authored with Larkin Warren, is her story. Here, she explains why she decided to tell her story, and how people misrepresent what she went through....
When we call sexual exploitation of youth something like "prostitution" we put all the blame where it does not belong. We focus on the youth, on the child, on their behavior. In the recent Sandusky hearing, the questions were not about the child's "promiscuous" or "needy" behavior that led to their being easy targets for abuse. Today, the focus is not on what a child victim is wearing or that they may have admired or sought out the person that was abusing them. Thankfully for the Sandusky victims and for many other child sexual abuse victims we've gotten past that type of victim blaming when it comes to straight child sexual abuse. However, for the children and youth that are commercially sexually exploited we are still far off.
What I experienced was not prostitution. I was twelve. I was abused. There was nothing about it that made me feel like I was in control. It was the opposite. I belonged to someone. He controlled me. He played games with me to get me to obey him and to make sure that I knew he was the boss. Up until that point I had rebelled against all adults, so it was odd for me to follow his rules, but he made sure I knew that he was in control....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carissa-phelps/child-abuse-runaway-girl_b_1686791.html
NCAA could fine Penn State as much as $60M as part of Sandusky sanctions
By Jerry Hinnen | College Football and Olympics Blogger
July 22, 2012
The NCAA will fine Penn State at least $30 million and perhaps as much as $60 million for its involvement in the Jerry Sandusky scandal, industry sources told CBSSports.com's Brett McMurphy.
The record fine will go toward an endowment for children's causes, sources said.
"This is a fine like no fine before," an industry source told CBSSports.com.
CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd has reported Penn State will face "significant penalties that could severely damage the football program's ability to compete" when the NCAA announces sanctions against the football program at a 9 a.m. news conference Monday.
To put the fine in perspective, Penn State's athletic department had $116 million in revenue for the 2010-11 school year, the most recent data available according to figures from the U.S. Department of Education's Equity in Athletics.
A source told CBS News correspondent Armen Keteyian that Penn State will suffer "unprecedented" punishment for its collective failure to report Sandusky, recently convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse, to the proper authorities.
"I've never seen anything like it," the source told Keteyian, indicating that both the football program and the school itself would face sanctions....
Bob Williams, the NCAA's vice president of communications, said after the Freeh report was released that Penn State needed to answer "four key questions, concerning compliance with institutional control and ethics policies."
Likely of particular interest to the NCAA were the report's conclusions that the school had "decentralized and uneven" oversight of compliance issues - laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
"Certain departments monitored their own compliance issues with very limited resources," the report found. Ensuring compliance with the federal Clery Act, which requires the reporting of crimes, was handled by someone with "minimal time."....
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/eye-on-college-football/19632027/ncaa-to-sanction-penn-state-source-says-school-may-prefer-death-penalty
Nightly News | Aired on July 22, 2012 Coach Joe Paterno statue removed
A statue of famed Penn State football coach Joe Paterno has been removed following the report that he knew Jerry Sandusky was being investigated for child sex abuse. NBC’s Michael Isikoff reports.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48278494
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Penn State did not fully cooperate in Sandusky probe, Former chairman becomes first Penn State trustee to resign post-Sandusky
Penn State did not fully cooperate in Sandusky probe: governor
By Mark Shade HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania Thu Jul 19, 2012
(Reuters) - Pennsylvania's governor said on Thursday that Penn State University officials may have intentionally withheld information from a grand jury looking into allegations of football coach Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse. Penn State's cooperation in the Sandusky investigation, dating back to 2009, was "incomplete," despite a subpoena from the state attorney general, Governor Tom Corbett said at a news conference. Corbett was Pennsylvania's attorney general in 2009, before he was elected governor in 2010....
Penn State failed to turn over all the evidence sought by the grand jury looking into Sandusky, Corbett said. "It was not initially provided by Penn State University when it was subpoenaed by the attorney general's office," he said. "I am very disappointed in the lack of forthcoming evidence to the subpoena that was given to them by the attorney general's office," he added. Pennsylvania newspapers reported that Corbett said that emails implicating university officials did not come to light until after charges had been filed in the Sandusky case.
Penn State spokesman Dave La Torre said that Penn State is cooperating fully with all investigations. "Penn State has, literally, turned over millions of pages of documents to investigators and continues to cooperate with any and all requests for information," he said.
The grand jury investigation into the case remains open, according to Attorney General spokesman Nils Frederiksen. He would not say whether Penn State might face obstruction of justice charges or if any other charges might be pending....
Penn State also faces an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, which is weighing whether it violated the Clery Act that requires colleges to report criminal incidents on campus, and by the NCAA, which governs U.S. college sports and is weighing sanctions against the university.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/us-usa-pennstate-governor-idUSBRE86J00G20120720
Former chairman becomes first Penn State trustee to resign post-Sandusky CBSSports.com wire reports July 19, 2012
A member and former chairman of the Penn State board of trustees resigned on Thursday, becoming the first board member to do so in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Steve Garban said in a letter his presence on the board had become "a distraction and an impediment" to its efforts to move forward.
Garban, who had stepped down as board chairman after Sandusky's November arrest but had remained a board member, was harshly criticized over his handling of the crisis that engulfed Penn State, and he faced persistent calls from alumni and fellow board members to resign.
An internal investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh found that Garban was briefed twice about developments in the Sandusky case but didn't share what he knew with the entire board, depriving trustees of a chance to prepare for the worst crisis in Penn State's 157-year history....
In April 2011, the report said, Spanier told Garban about a grand jury investigation of Sandusky. Garban, in turn, failed to alert fellow board members. Garban told investigators that Spanier downplayed the Sandusky probe, and he recalled his former boss saying, "It was the third or fourth grand jury and nothing would come of it," the report said.
Then, on Oct. 28, Garban learned from Penn State's chief lawyer that two university administrators were about to be charged with failing to report suspected child abuse. Garban told investigators he was "astounded" when he saw Sandusky in the Nittany Lion Club at Penn State's home game against Illinois on Oct. 29. Yet he informed only two other trustees -- James Broadhurst and John Surma -- that charges against Sandusky, Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz were imminent. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/19617513/former-chairman-becomes-first-penn-state-trustee-to-resign-postsandusky
(Reuters) - Pennsylvania's governor said on Thursday that Penn State University officials may have intentionally withheld information from a grand jury looking into allegations of football coach Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse. Penn State's cooperation in the Sandusky investigation, dating back to 2009, was "incomplete," despite a subpoena from the state attorney general, Governor Tom Corbett said at a news conference. Corbett was Pennsylvania's attorney general in 2009, before he was elected governor in 2010....
Penn State failed to turn over all the evidence sought by the grand jury looking into Sandusky, Corbett said. "It was not initially provided by Penn State University when it was subpoenaed by the attorney general's office," he said. "I am very disappointed in the lack of forthcoming evidence to the subpoena that was given to them by the attorney general's office," he added. Pennsylvania newspapers reported that Corbett said that emails implicating university officials did not come to light until after charges had been filed in the Sandusky case.
Penn State spokesman Dave La Torre said that Penn State is cooperating fully with all investigations. "Penn State has, literally, turned over millions of pages of documents to investigators and continues to cooperate with any and all requests for information," he said.
The grand jury investigation into the case remains open, according to Attorney General spokesman Nils Frederiksen. He would not say whether Penn State might face obstruction of justice charges or if any other charges might be pending....
Penn State also faces an investigation by the U.S. Department of Education, which is weighing whether it violated the Clery Act that requires colleges to report criminal incidents on campus, and by the NCAA, which governs U.S. college sports and is weighing sanctions against the university.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/20/us-usa-pennstate-governor-idUSBRE86J00G20120720
Former chairman becomes first Penn State trustee to resign post-Sandusky CBSSports.com wire reports July 19, 2012
A member and former chairman of the Penn State board of trustees resigned on Thursday, becoming the first board member to do so in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Steve Garban said in a letter his presence on the board had become "a distraction and an impediment" to its efforts to move forward.
Garban, who had stepped down as board chairman after Sandusky's November arrest but had remained a board member, was harshly criticized over his handling of the crisis that engulfed Penn State, and he faced persistent calls from alumni and fellow board members to resign.
An internal investigation by former FBI Director Louis Freeh found that Garban was briefed twice about developments in the Sandusky case but didn't share what he knew with the entire board, depriving trustees of a chance to prepare for the worst crisis in Penn State's 157-year history....
In April 2011, the report said, Spanier told Garban about a grand jury investigation of Sandusky. Garban, in turn, failed to alert fellow board members. Garban told investigators that Spanier downplayed the Sandusky probe, and he recalled his former boss saying, "It was the third or fourth grand jury and nothing would come of it," the report said.
Then, on Oct. 28, Garban learned from Penn State's chief lawyer that two university administrators were about to be charged with failing to report suspected child abuse. Garban told investigators he was "astounded" when he saw Sandusky in the Nittany Lion Club at Penn State's home game against Illinois on Oct. 29. Yet he informed only two other trustees -- James Broadhurst and John Surma -- that charges against Sandusky, Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz were imminent. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/19617513/former-chairman-becomes-first-penn-state-trustee-to-resign-postsandusky
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Paterno Won Sweeter Deal Even as Scandal Played Out, Penn State takes first steps to recover after Sandusky scandal
Paterno Won Sweeter Deal Even as Scandal Played Out
By JO BECKER
July 14, 2012
In January 2011, Joe Paterno learned prosecutors were investigating his longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for sexually assaulting young boys. Soon, Mr. Paterno had testified before a grand jury, and the rough outlines of what would become a giant scandal had been published in a local newspaper.
That same month, Mr. Paterno, the football coach at Penn State, began negotiating with his superiors to amend his contract, with the timing something of a surprise because the contract was not set to expire until the end of 2012, according to university documents and people with knowledge of the discussions. By August, Mr. Paterno and the university’s president, both of whom were by then embroiled in the Sandusky investigation, had reached an agreement.
Mr. Paterno was to be paid $3 million at the end of the 2011 season if he agreed it would be his last. Interest-free loans totaling $350,000 that the university had made to Mr. Paterno over the years would be forgiven as part of the retirement package. He would also have the use of the university’s private plane and a luxury box at Beaver Stadium for him and his family to use over the next 25 years.
The university’s full board of trustees was kept in the dark about the arrangement until November, when Mr. Sandusky was arrested and the contract arrangements, along with so much else at Penn State, were upended. Mr. Paterno was fired, two of the university’s top officials were indicted in connection with the scandal, and the trustees, who held Mr. Paterno’s financial fate in their hands, came under verbal assault from the coach’s angry supporters.
Board members who raised questions about whether the university ought to go forward with the payments were quickly shut down, according to two people with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
In the end, the board of trustees — bombarded with hate mail and threatened with a defamation lawsuit by Mr. Paterno’s family — gave the family virtually everything it wanted, with a package worth roughly $5.5 million.... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/sports/ncaafootball/joe-paterno-got-richer-contract-amid-jerry-sandusky-inquiry.html
Penn State takes first steps to recover after Sandusky scandal
Penn State trustees, taking ‘full responsibility’ for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, announced initial steps to recover the university's tarnished reputation. Some say much more will have to be done, especially changing a campus culture in which sports coaches are idolized.
By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / July 14, 2012
It’s likely to take years for Penn State to fully recover from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that has blotted the reputation of the university and its most senior officials, including legendary head football coach Joe Paterno.
But in its first meeting since the blistering investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh, the university’s board of trustees has taken initial steps in that direction.
The board – which itself was criticized in the Freeh report for failing to create an environment in which much of the abuse might have been prevented – has begun by accepting what board chair Karen Peetz calls “full responsibility” for its failures.
Notably, the federal Clery Act of 1990 requiring the compilation and reporting of crime statistics, including sexual offenses, had never become policy at Penn State. Under the Clery Act – named for a young woman sexually assaulted and murdered in a Lehigh University dorm room in 1986 – Penn State officials were obliged to report Sandusky’s known activities to law-enforcement officials.
"Our hearts are heavy and we are deeply ashamed," said trustee Ken Frazier. "We failed to ask the tough questions. We failed to push the issue." http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0714/Penn-State-takes-first-steps-to-recover-after-Sandusky-scandal
By JO BECKER
July 14, 2012
In January 2011, Joe Paterno learned prosecutors were investigating his longtime assistant coach Jerry Sandusky for sexually assaulting young boys. Soon, Mr. Paterno had testified before a grand jury, and the rough outlines of what would become a giant scandal had been published in a local newspaper.
That same month, Mr. Paterno, the football coach at Penn State, began negotiating with his superiors to amend his contract, with the timing something of a surprise because the contract was not set to expire until the end of 2012, according to university documents and people with knowledge of the discussions. By August, Mr. Paterno and the university’s president, both of whom were by then embroiled in the Sandusky investigation, had reached an agreement.
Mr. Paterno was to be paid $3 million at the end of the 2011 season if he agreed it would be his last. Interest-free loans totaling $350,000 that the university had made to Mr. Paterno over the years would be forgiven as part of the retirement package. He would also have the use of the university’s private plane and a luxury box at Beaver Stadium for him and his family to use over the next 25 years.
The university’s full board of trustees was kept in the dark about the arrangement until November, when Mr. Sandusky was arrested and the contract arrangements, along with so much else at Penn State, were upended. Mr. Paterno was fired, two of the university’s top officials were indicted in connection with the scandal, and the trustees, who held Mr. Paterno’s financial fate in their hands, came under verbal assault from the coach’s angry supporters.
Board members who raised questions about whether the university ought to go forward with the payments were quickly shut down, according to two people with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
In the end, the board of trustees — bombarded with hate mail and threatened with a defamation lawsuit by Mr. Paterno’s family — gave the family virtually everything it wanted, with a package worth roughly $5.5 million.... http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/sports/ncaafootball/joe-paterno-got-richer-contract-amid-jerry-sandusky-inquiry.html
Penn State takes first steps to recover after Sandusky scandal
Penn State trustees, taking ‘full responsibility’ for the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, announced initial steps to recover the university's tarnished reputation. Some say much more will have to be done, especially changing a campus culture in which sports coaches are idolized.
By Brad Knickerbocker, Staff writer / July 14, 2012
It’s likely to take years for Penn State to fully recover from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal that has blotted the reputation of the university and its most senior officials, including legendary head football coach Joe Paterno.
But in its first meeting since the blistering investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh, the university’s board of trustees has taken initial steps in that direction.
The board – which itself was criticized in the Freeh report for failing to create an environment in which much of the abuse might have been prevented – has begun by accepting what board chair Karen Peetz calls “full responsibility” for its failures.
Notably, the federal Clery Act of 1990 requiring the compilation and reporting of crime statistics, including sexual offenses, had never become policy at Penn State. Under the Clery Act – named for a young woman sexually assaulted and murdered in a Lehigh University dorm room in 1986 – Penn State officials were obliged to report Sandusky’s known activities to law-enforcement officials.
"Our hearts are heavy and we are deeply ashamed," said trustee Ken Frazier. "We failed to ask the tough questions. We failed to push the issue." http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0714/Penn-State-takes-first-steps-to-recover-after-Sandusky-scandal
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