Yahoo Lifestyle Jerry Sandusky receives same 30-60 year prison sentence after resentencing hearing
Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was resentenced to a 30-to-60-year prison term on Friday, the same sentenced he was given after he was convicted on dozens of counts of child sexual abuse in 2012, according to the Associated Press.
The sentence, both prosecutors and Sandusky’s attorney said, is effectively a life sentence for the 75-year-old.
Sandusky’s attorneys argued that he was not given a fair trial in 2012, and attempted to appeal his conviction to receive a new trial earlier this year. That request was denied, however his case was granted the resentencing hearing in February.
The longtime Penn State assistant, per the report, again asserted his innocence in the hearing on Friday.
“I apologize that I’m unable to admit remorse for this because it’s something that I didn’t do,” Sandusky said, via the Associated Press.
Sandusky, who played defensive end himself at Penn State, joined the coaching staff there in 1969 under legendary head coach Joe Paterno. Sandusky was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1977, and stayed in that position until he retired in 1999 to spend more time working with his charity for at-risk youth, The Second Mile.
He was arrested in 2011 and convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse in 2012.
Jennifer Buck, the prosecutor in the case, described the multiple problems Sandusky has had in prison — including disputes about his meal tray, resistance to being moved from his cell, complaints about phone calls and more, per the Associated Press. Sandusky was even placed in “restrictive prison housing” in order to maintain his safety from other prisoners.
Several of Sandusky’s victims, who testified in his initial trial, wrote letters to the judge presiding over the case on Friday, too — which described the abuse and the effects it had on them in the years that followed.
“It’s failure to take responsibility, claiming that he is the victim, which is a theme throughout this case, and that it’s his rights that are being violated,” Buck said, via the Associated Press.
Paterno — who is the winningest coach in FBS history and led the Nittany Lions for 46 seasons — was fired in the wake of the scandal. He died in January 2012 after a battle with lung cancer. Former athletic director Tim Curley and former university vice president Gary Schultz were also fired, and both pled guilty to child endangerment in 2017.
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