Joe Paterno reportedly knew at least one of Jerry Sandusky's dark secrets back in 1976, because a 14-year-old boy told the late Penn State coach then about being sexually molested by the defensive coordinator now in prison, according to a court document unsealed at the request of news media.
Paterno didn't want to be bothered with the boy's accusation, said the document.
The sworn testimony of a man who said he was that boy was included in documents released by Philadelphia County Common Pleas Court Judge Gary S. Glazer at the behest of a group of news media organizations, reported
Philly.com.
The man testified in an October 2014 deposition that when he was 14 he went to Paterno's office to tell him that Sandusky assaulted him, said the
Centre Daily Times in its reporting on the document release..
"Person to person, it was just the two of us, but there were several people within three, four, five feet," John Doe 150 testified, according to the documents. The deposition was part of an ongoing battle between Penn State and its liability insurer, Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association.
The university and insuring are fighting over who should pay the $92.8 million in settlements Penn State made with 33 people who charged that Sandusky, founder of The Second Mile children's charity, assaulted them, noted the Times.
"Is it accurate that Coach Paterno quickly said to you, I don't want to hear about any of that kind of stuff, I have a football season to worry about?" the insurer's attorney, Steven Englemyer, asked John Doe 150. The accused said, "Specifically, yes," noted the Daily Times.
Sandusky was convicted in 2012 of sexually assaulting 10 boys and was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison, according to the
Washington Post. Paterno died of lung cancer a few months after his former assistant coach's conviction.
Paterno, who was fired as head coach in 2011 in connection with the Sandusky investigation, repeatedly denied any knowledge of Sandusky's conduct, reported Philly.com.
"The materials released today relating to Joe Paterno allege a conversation that occurred decades ago where all parties except the accuser are now dead," Wick Sollers, the lawyer representing the family, told Philly.com.
"In addition, there are numerous specific elements of the accusations that defy all logic and have never been subjected to even the most basic objective examination. Most significantly, there is extensive evidence that stands in stark contrast to this claim," said Sollers.
Related Stories:
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.