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Seven months after the nation was first shocked by revelations that Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky may have sexually abused boys, the case is back in the spotlight today with the start of his trial and the discovery of new email evidence that could lead to more charges against administrators at the university.
Eight young men aged 18 to 28, who will be identified publicly for the first time, are set to testify in Centre County Court about how the 68-year-old defensive coordinator abused them over a 15-year period, reports Fox News. Sandusky faces 52 counts of sexual abuse against 10 boys and could be sentenced to more than 500 years in prison.
NBC News reported this morning that investigators have uncovered "major new evidence" that could lead to new charges stemming from a possible cover-up of Sandusky's alleged crimes. The evidence consists of emails exchanged in 2001 by former Penn State president Graham Spanier and school officials Gary Schultz and Tim Curley, who both face perjury charges. Spanier and Schultz said it would be "humane" to Sandusky to not get legal authorities involved, reports NBC News.
"In the course of former FBI Director Louis Freeh's independent investigation, e-mails were discovered and immediately turned over to the State Attorney General," Penn State spokesman David La Torre said in a statement Monday.
"In deference to the legal process, the University cannot comment further on specifics of the ongoing legal case as it unfolds. We continue to work with the State Attorney General, the US Attorney and Judge Freeh in their investigations into this matter. We will continue to cooperate fully with all legal processes to determine what happened and ensure personal accountability."
