Former Penn State Coach Jerry Sandusky Could Get Another Day in Court

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will return to court next month after one of his accusers said he plans to recant testimony that helped prosecutors convict Sandusky in 2012.

A Centre County judge scheduled an evidentiary hearing for Sept. 8 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. The hearing will examine claims from an accuser identified as Victim 10, who testified against Sandusky during his trial.

According to a sworn affidavit filed by Sandusky’s defense team, Victim 10 now says Sandusky never sexually abused him. He also claims prosecutors influenced his testimony before the trial and encouraged him to revisit and reframe memories of alleged abuse.

Victim 10 wrote that authorities told him trauma could have fragmented his memory and that he could affirm details he did not fully remember. He also said authorities presented that process as normal and expected.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office plans to address those allegations during the September hearing.

Sandusky, now 82, continues to serve a 30-to-60-year prison sentence after a jury convicted him on 45 counts of sexual abuse in 2012. Prosecutors accused him of abusing boys connected to The Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youth, over a period spanning more than a decade.

Eight young men testified against Sandusky during the trial. Sandusky has consistently denied the allegations and has repeatedly sought a new trial.

His defense team has also pointed to statements from Victim 10’s estranged wife, who reportedly concluded that Sandusky did not abuse her husband as a child.

The potential recantation could become a significant part of Sandusky’s latest effort to challenge his conviction. However, the September hearing will determine how the court evaluates the new claims and whether they could support further legal action.