Jerry Sandusky Maintains Innocence as Accuser Plans to Recant Testimony

Convicted child sex offender Jerry Sandusky has again proclaimed his innocence, asserting that his accusers fabricated allegations for financial gain and to damage his reputation. The former Penn State assistant football coach made these statements from a Pennsylvania state prison.

Sandusky, 82, is currently serving a 30-to-60-year sentence for 45 counts of child sexual abuse, which occurred between 1994 and 2009 involving boys he met through his Second Mile charity. He stated his desire to prove his innocence to his grandchildren and return home.

"I am an innocent man, and I have been convicted by so many people with their own personal agendas, and this was an opportunity to take advantage of a tremendous personal gain," Sandusky said in an interview with ABC6. He also claimed that payouts from Penn State and pressure from prosecutors incentivized accusers to come forward.

His claims come as one of his accusers, identified as "Victim 10," plans to recant his testimony during an evidentiary hearing scheduled for September 8. According to an affidavit obtained by ABC News, Victim 10 alleges that prosecutors convinced him to alter his testimony by asking him to reconstruct his allegations, suggesting that trauma may have fragmented his memory.

"[T]hroughout 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," the affidavit states.

Sandusky's defense team plans to argue in a motion seeking a new trial that Victim 10's estranged wife could corroborate his claims. The lawyers are expected to contend that Sandusky received ineffective counsel and that prosecutors Joe McGettigan and Frank Fina employed psychological manipulation and investigative pressure to secure convictions. Sandusky has previously expressed similar sentiments, telling the Daily Mail in 2024 that he never intended to molest anyone and that his wife was his only sexual partner after marriage.