Disgraced Penn State defensive coordinator and convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky, 82, is scheduled to return to court next month for an evidentiary hearing after one of his accusers recanted his allegations. Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison in June 2012 after his conviction on 45 counts of child sex abuse.
A new petition for post-conviction relief was filed by Sandusky in September 2025. While initially dismissed by a Pennsylvania judge, that decision was vacated due to a procedural misstep. The judge subsequently granted the evidentiary hearing after a witness, identified in court documents as R.R. (alleged Victim 10), recanted his testimony.
Sandusky's attorneys contend that affidavits from R.R. and the mother of alleged Victim 9 suggest the Commonwealth engaged in questionable tactics to influence witness testimony. They allege that R.R. was coached extensively and encouraged to revisit and reframe his allegations. R.R.'s recantation states, "Throughout the pretrial process, I was told — both directly and indirectly — that trauma may have fragmented my memory, and that I could safely affirm details I did not fully recall. I was assured this was common and even expected."
R.R.'s estranged wife, identified in court filings as Jasmine Rittmeyer, has provided an affidavit and may testify, according to Sandusky's amended petition. Lawyers for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office have described Rittmeyer as R.R.'s "soon-to-be" ex-wife and argued that her affidavit is irrelevant and inadmissible. They assert that Rittmeyer’s affidavit claims Sandusky investigator Frank Parlato contacted R.R. and "suggested that it would be beneficial for [him] to recant his testimony" prior to the recantation.
The prosecution is asking the judge to prevent Rittmeyer from testifying about her opinions on Sandusky's guilt or innocence or whether she believes R.R. told the truth at trial. They also want the hearing to focus specifically on R.R.'s recantation rather than the entirety of the case against Sandusky.
Sandusky's lawyers had also raised other claims in the original petition, including allegations that prosecutors influenced the testimony of another witness and later profited from the allegations, asserting he was denied due process and is entitled to a new trial. Sandusky has maintained his innocence throughout his more than a decade behind bars.
He is scheduled to appear in a Bellefonte courthouse on September 8 for the evidentiary hearing.