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Subscribe to RSSThe prosecution in Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse trial finished their case against the former Penn State assistant football coach Thursday with the ninth alleged victim, who said he never told anyone about the three years of abuse he allegedly suffered because he thought no one would believe him. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports.
Updated at 6:58 p.m. ET: The final prosecution witness in the child sexual abuse trial of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky testified Thursday that Sandusky forcibly raped him on several occasions.
The testimony came on the fourth day of Sandusky's trial on 52 counts alleging that he sexually abused 10 boys over 15 years. Two grand jury reports accused him of having used his connection to one of the nation's premier college football programs to "groom" the boys, whom he met through his Second Mile charity for troubled children, for sexual relationships. Sandusky has pleaded not guilty.
The 18-year-old man, identified in the indictment as "Victim 9," testified that he cried out for help as Sandusky raped him in the basement of the Sandusky home, but no one came to his assistance. He said he believed that the basement was soundproofed and that Sandusky's wife, Dottie, couldn't hear his pleas.
It was the most graphic and dramatic testimony so far at the trial in Bellefonte, Pa. Afterward, Judge John Cleland announced that the prosecution had concluded its case and that the defense would begin Monday after a three-day break.
Wednesday: Alleged victim testifies Sandusky threatened him unless he kept quiet
Legal analysis: Sandusky lawyer flummoxed by witness' memory lapse
The man said he stayed overnight at Sandusky's house between 50 and 100 times. He said Sandusky began forcibly raping him beginning when he was "maybe 13."
The 18-year-old known as 'Victim 9' told the court about a pattern of sexual assaults over three years that he allegedly endured in the basement of Jerry Sandusky's home. NBC's Michael Isikoff reports from Bellefonte, Pa.
On some occasions, he said, the assaults were so forceful that he would bleed from his anus. He said he didn't seek medical attention; instead, "I just dealt with it."
"What was I going to do? I mean, he was a big guy," the man said. "He was bigger than me at the time, way bigger than me."
The man said he told no one about the abuse — even police when they began investigating — because he thought no one would believe him.
"He's an important guy — he's a football coach," he said. "Who would believe kids?"
On cross-examination, the man acknowledged that despite the "horrible" things Sandusky did to him, he continued to accept tickets to Penn State football games from the defendant as recently as last November. He said he did so "because I had a friend with me" who "had my back at the time."
The man's testimony was the most disturbing of that of all eight of the alleged victims who agreed to testify at Sandusky's trial.
Previous witnesses testified that Sandusky engaged in oral sex and groped their genitals, and another witness, former Penn State assistant coach Michael McQueary, testified that he saw Sandusky engaging in sex with a young boy in a Penn State shower. But none of the previous witnesses has described the sexual relation as having occurred under extreme force.
Defense attorney Joseph Amendola, as he has with most of the other alleged victims, closely questioned the man on precise details about what allegedly happened and when, part of a strategy to raise questions about whether the accusers — some of whom have sued the university or have said they plan to sue Sandusky — are making up their stories for financial gain.
Penn State accused of slowing investigation
Earlier Thursday, Anthony Sassano, an investigator with the state attorney general's office, testified that Penn State dragged its heels numerous times on cooperating with the investigation, requiring investigators to seek search warrants and to subpoena the names of university employees.
"Penn State, to be quite frank, was not very fast on getting us the information," he said in the latest of several accounts jurors have heard that suggested that university administrators and local prosecutors knew about Sandusky's alleged pedophilia for many years but chose not to take action.
Full coverage of the Jerry Sandusky trial
Ronald Schreffler, who as a Penn State police investigator began investigating Sandusky in the late 1990s, also testified that he believed Sandusky was allowed to get away with his alleged behavior for far too many years, saying Sandusky should have faced criminal charges as long as 14 years ago.
Schreffler, who now works for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, testified that when he and youth services officials recommended that Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar bring criminal charges, Gricar declined. The decision by Gricar — who disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 2005 and has been declared dead — remains one of the central mysteries of the Sandusky investigation.
'Jer' needs a 'best friend'
Some of the most bizarre evidence of the entire trial also emerged Thursday, including a "short story" Sandusky wrote that described his relationship with a boy who apparently attended his camps, which was found in one of the boxes at Penn State.
In the story, which was read aloud in court, Sandusky refers to himself in the third person as "Jer" and to the boy by his first name. Although Sandusky's alleged victims are being identified by name in court, NBC News and msnbc.com do not identify alleged victims of sexual assaults and have replaced the young man's name with (X).
"I'm Jerry. (X) is a young man who came into Jer's life," the story reads.
Later, telling how "Jer" was distressed that the boy had broken off the relationship, the story continues:
"'Tell me another story, Jer,' has been replaced with 'I don't care.' This cloud has destroyed soccer and hockey, choked smiles and laughter. There is fear that has reached his inside and killed his feelings. ...
"Jer might not be worthy, but he needs a 'best friend.'"
The trial, which opened Monday in Centre County Court, follows months of intense coverage of the case that led to the firing of Penn State head coach Joe Paterno, a college football legend who won more games than any other major college coach in history. Sandusky, who was at his side for many of those victories, was for many years presumed to be Paterno's heir apparent.
Paterno died in January, a few weeks after the Penn State Board of Trustees dismissed him for not having done enough to stop Sandusky's alleged abuse.
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This whole case is VERY DISTURBING. His wife and all who knew him who even had the slightest clue to his behavior and decided to bury it instead of investigating it further are all guilty to some extent. I am disgusted and dismayed that these poor boys (now Men) are permanently damaged for the rest of their lives! God Bless all those Men. You have my deepest sympathy. May JUSTICE be served!
Who wrote this article? It talks about "forcible rape". Is there any other kind of rape? This kind of terminology went out 30 years ago. I suggest the writer read the AP style guide. The style guide was adopted because of the neanderthal notion that if the victim didn't resist, it couldn't have been rape. Somehow it was only criminal if you didn't pin the victim down. This victim was attacked violently and that adds another level of horribleness to the crime. But even sex with a child using just coercion is still rape. That this terminology is in use is another example of how rape used to be justified with the excuse of "well, she didn't resist, so it can't be rape. " Sometimes society's progress is measured with two steps forward and one step back. God help all those involved.
how about statutory rape i.e. consenting but under age?
Consensual sex with a minor is considered to be rape. While I do believe there should be laws against adults starting relationships with young teens, it should not be called "rape." Calling consensual sex rape is a slap in the face to anyone who was ever raped.
leroy brown - I disagree. Anytime an adult has sex with someone who is not of legal age, it should be called, "Rape." Kids who are underage are not able to consent as they do not have the emotional maturity to make these decisions.
"leroy brown - I disagree." That is your right pmdww2.
Wow Sandusky wins no matter what happens. If he is acquitted he is free. If he is convicted he'll get action every day at the new Penn!! ;-)
No, he won't be raped in the shower room. He'll be placed in Protective Custody and no inmate will ever lay a hand on him. You've been watching to many prison movies.
Well actually i was just joking. If you want reality he'll be killed in prison. Even in protective custody.
Prison inmates traditionally are not real kind to convicted child rapists. He would be lucky to live a month in general population.
Sandusky is a monster who should spend the rest of his life in prison, but what does it say about our society that so many people seem to think an appropriate punishment would be for him to be raped in prison. Maybe people are just joking when they say things like that, but it is not right for anyone to be raped, anywhere, for any reason.
Wrong. Even the prison inmates hate child molesters. They will rip him a new one.
Any teenager who claims to have been raped 50 to 100 times but didn't report it, is a liar. Nobody would go back 50 to 100 times to be raped-- unless it was not rape at all, but consensual sex. Something is very, very fishy about this testimony.
@Shandril: You are sadly mistaken, wrong, incorrect, clueless, out of touch, ignorant, heartless, whichever adjective you wish. You obviously haven't got a clue when it comes to the psychology of being victimized repeatedly, especially at a young age by an older member of your own gender. Remember, he , good old JER, targeted his victims and chose them wisely, do you think he would rape someone who was going to stand up and yell "RAPE"? These kids were all "troubled', they wanted to look up to this monster and feel as if they were part of a family, and he used that against those kids. And he repeatedly raped them because he knew they wouldn't tell. Why would a 13 year old boy have "consensual sex" with a grown man, don't you think that is a little odd of JER to want that type of sex? The age of consent is not 13, and no sex can be consensual at that age, so your comment is dumb and ignorant. Shame on JER and shame on you. Something is very, very, very fishy about your comment.
WhatIsGoingOnHere! - Well said. Blaming the victims of this terrible ordeal is beyond the pale. Not cool.
@pmdww2: It amazes me that there are actually people out there who think that way. It's incomprehensible to me. Some always want to blame the victim.
Shandril...
The kid was 13 at the time. Regardless if it was consensual sex or a frightened 13 year old too scared to tell anyone It was still rape. Statutory Rape...
I'm not calling anyone a liar, I'm not calling Sandusky Innocent but that last testamony doesn't match what would appear to be Sandusly's MO. I'm glad I'm not on the jury responsible for trying to decide who is lying and who isn't.
Sandusky probably was feeling confident & cocky by then and felt he could do no wrong, so he felt he could do anything he wanted to this boy!
I know Sandusky did this crap.
But THIS kid is a liar.
Rape me ONCE, and your ass is going down no matter if I have to do it or the police do it.
"VICTIM 9" is in this for the money.
how is it that a predatory degenerate homosexual rapist like sandusky awaits trial in the comfort of his own home while a community activist volunteer like george zimmerman who has committed no crime rots in jail. american justice is all politics and poliotical correctness; those who have the $$$ get the best treatment; those who don't, get the treatment period.
i.b. sage - It is important to remember that Sandusky is a homosexual pedophile. It is important to use the word pedophile because referring to Sandusky only as a homosexual could lead to the mistaken conclusion that all gays are pedophiles.
Actually, I wouldn't even classify him as being homosexual. He is a pervert, he targets minors, troubled minors at that, who looked to him for help. His deviant sexual appetite targets young boys. Homosexuals don't deserve for him to be lumped in with them, he has his own category/label.
WhatIsGoingOnHere! - Good point.
All I have to say about this is that after it is all said and done that "Jer" the molester of little boys needs to go to prison for the balance of his natural life for all the harm he caused to these boys and their families. I also think that his wife needs to be brought up on charges for being a facilitator for her scumbag husband. I also agree as one other person has commented, all pensions and other benefits for the families of those responsible for turning a blind eye should be terminated as part of their punishment for not doing the right thing for these boys. Too bad this didn't happen in Texas where that Father beat the dog carp out of the guy that was trying to molest his young daughter. As far as I am concerned, if I ever came across someone doing what this scumbag did to these boys, they wouldn't have to be blood for me to do something about it, I would simply beat the tar out of this scum. That's why they call them children because they rely on us the adults to protect them regardless if they are related or not.
Ha. Jerry's kids are punking him out. Hope they get satisfaction in the end.
This is one of those time were I find it hard to remind everyone that the law says he is innocent until found guilty...
Because this guy is guilty as hell...
He will never see freedom again. He is prison bound for the rest of his life.
Why would you go back 50 to 100 times? Back for more??
@Phil-1744006: Obviously you and Shandril (above) have the same capacity for understanding and empathy. Perhaps you should get together, wait, no, bad idea.
Many of the boys came from broken homes and were likely looking for attention from the adults in their life. That does not mean they were asking to be raped.
There was a MONSTER lurking the campus at Penn St., I'm convinced "beyond a reasonable doubt".
It's hard to believe that money and reputation meant more to Penn State then kicking this pig out of their program and sending him to jail years ago!! What about the kids who suffered??
Everybody over there must be mental!! Normal people if they observed a kid getting molested would call the police. Not at Penn State. First you go to papa Joe (not the police of course), then you go to somebody else! Everybody over there is sick! 'Don't say anything, it might ruin our little utopia and cash cow we have going here at Penn State!! Those that hid this pigs conduct are complicit!
Jerry has many many powerful friends who are pedophiles and he was protected for years. All these people knew what was going on and those millions of others in elected, wealthy and leadership positions. This has been happening for so long I remember in the 50's an elected official in Penn. would rape black boys from poor areas and threaten not to tell as even parents were threaten. In the south kids bodies were found after being raped with no investigations. Little girls were raped and died because their bodies were to young to carry a baby. It made me sick how kids were worth nothing and all the adults knew who the pedophiles. Watching how Law Makers protected Rep. Mark Foley who is still molesting kids today.
jackier, you've got a bad case of diarrahea of the mouth. Your spouting things that no one really knows. Ya, the guy is probably guilty, but your just spreading half cocked notions.
this country has a problem with violence, child abuse and domestic abuse that tops the worlds lists.These among other things like we cannot live without a war, hate,and we love to worship the gun,no matter who is killed says all you need to know about the country that ''God is blessing''.An army of shrinks cannot save us.
What is truly disgusting is the Penn State sympathizers! How much tuition money and FEDERAL (you and me) tax dollars went to subsidize Sandusky's On-Campus Sodomy Station?
But as long as they were winning games, no one cared about children being raped.
Hi,I'm Jerry Sandusky and I molest little boys.Thats what his class will have him say in Prison..He will get along fine locked up.He gets all the weenies he wants for snacks.
His lil sissy ass will be in PC so no one hurts him. He ought to be strung to a pole in the center of town.
Joe Paterno was a disgrace for a human being also if he knew that was going on and never tried to stop it, or maybe he was gettin his share too. I hope Sandusky when he gets in prison, gets raped ever day.
I don't get it. It started when he was 13 and yet he kept going back "50 to 100 times"?!? WTF? Why would you keep going back? And where was this kids parents? Did they not notice the kid walking around funny? Or the blood in his underwear? Did he not tell them -even once- that he didn't want to go over there anymore?
Maybe I am just naive, but it seems to me if something bad was happening to you, you wouldn't keep putting yourself in that situation.
I'm not blaming the kid, I just don't get it.
sometimes i question whether the death pentalty is ethical.
but slime balls like this knock me back into reality where i'm reminded why the death penalty should be carried out IN PUBLIC.
End this horror for these victims and fry this demon. You can doooooo it!
They should castrate this SOB slowly......
I do not buy the bull that is being laid out, Why would a person who was forcably raped and screaming go back for seconds. It does not take a scientist to see through the lawsuit coming for these liars and against pen state. money is the obvious reason after this last suposed victem I would like to see the jury hold these people to dna evidence.
I think jeebus would understand if this tortured sould chose to take an early exit and spare us all the expense of a trial/incarceration
This guy needs to be thrown in jail and throw away the key. His dumb wife too! Also the a3%$holes at Penn state that covered it up. Joe paterno is dead now but he knew plenty may he rot in hell too!!
Hmmm. Not sure about that final witness. I kinda feel like he is over doing his account by miles. I for one have tried anal sex in the past. The pain was unimaginable and vowed never to do it again. The guy i was with did everything he could to be gental. So if Sandusky really did forceably rape this kid anally, i doubt he'd be able to hide the pain. If blood was comeing out of his ass, there is no way he would be able to walk away from that without someone noticeing that something was wrong. A severe bad limp, problems deficating, sesitivity when sitting. The list of potential medical issues from a anal rape goes on and on.
To allow that kind of pain to go on and on, just sounds so made up. Anal sex is not like vaginal sex. Not in any way shape or form. You can really endanger a persons life by raping them anally. The tearing of the colon mixed with the non deficated poop could lead to severe infections.
Also, to go through all of that and still take game tickets and other presents when you so don't have to. Give me a break.
I think this kid was probally coerced into haveing anal sex. Because he didn't have the will to say no at the time he's come up with this rape excuse.