Lawyers for Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State assistant football coach convicted of sexual abuse, have asked to postpone a hearing scheduled for September 8. The hearing was intended to address a claim by one of the accusers that he wishes to recant his allegations against Sandusky.
Sandusky, 82, is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence following his 2012 conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse. The convictions were based on the testimony of eight young men who described abuse they experienced as children. He has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to secure a new trial.
In a court filing, Sandusky's defense team proposed canceling the hearing. They indicated a desire to first appeal a judge's earlier decision not to consider claims beyond the accuser's potential recantation. A status conference was scheduled for Friday to discuss the matter with the judge.
The accuser, identified in court documents as R.R., has stated in an affidavit that authorities coached him to affirm details he did not fully recall, suggesting that trauma may have fragmented his memory. R.R. alleged that he was told this was a common and expected occurrence. Sandusky's attorneys contend that the allegations were influenced by suggestive questioning, prosecutorial coercion, confirmatory bias, and memory manipulation.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has characterized the alleged recantation as "highly suspect."
Sandusky, who served as defensive coordinator under coach Joe Paterno, was convicted of abusing boys he found and groomed through The Second Mile, a charity he founded for at-risk youth. The scandal ultimately led to Paterno's dismissal from Penn State. The university settled with individuals who claimed abuse by Sandusky for over $100 million. Sandusky has consistently maintained his innocence.