Sandusky Trial Witness Testifies Coach Threatened Him After Sex Assault
On Wednesday jurors heard additional accounts of incriminating testimony in the child sex abuse trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, with one witness claiming the coach threatened him to keep him quiet about the alleged abuse.
Two witnesses testified in court on Wednesday accusing the former assistant football coach of sexually abusing them. One witness, identified as "Victim 10," said he had been abused in the Sandusky home while he was in the seventh grade and told the court that he had been threatened by the former football coach to keep quiet.
"He said if I told anyone, I would never see my family again," Victim 10 said.
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The alleged victim also told the court that Sandusky had told him that he loved him, and said that he had kept quiet about the alleged abuse for so long out of fear and shame.
"I was scared, I was ashamed (and) I was embarrassed," he said on the stand.
The prosecution began presenting its evidence on Monday and could conclude its case by Friday. Three more victims are expected to testify.
Sandusky, 68, is facing 52 charges of child sex abuse involving 10 children over a 15-year period.
Prosecutors are arguing that Sandusky sexually assaulted young boys that he met through his charity for at-risk youth, The Second Mile. If found guilty of the charges against him, Sandusky could face a prison sentence of over 500 years.
Sandusky has vehemently denied the accusations made against him and his defense is expected to call upon dozens of witnesses, including Sandusky's wife, Dottie, and other family members to defend him.
The defense has opted to not put Sandusky on the stand to defend himself, but on Wednesday the defense did play an extended interview aired by NBC late last year in which the former assistant coach spoke to the network's host Bob Costas and denied the allegations against him.
During the interview Sandusky said that he was innocent on all counts but did admit to Costas that he "horsed around" and showered with boys.
"I have horsed around with kids. I have showered [with them] after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact," Sandusky said.
