A former US university football coach has been sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison for abusing young, at-risk boys for more than a decade.
Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse
The sentence could put Jerry Sandusky, 68, in prison for the rest of his life.
Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse for molesting 10 boys over 15 years, some in the football team’s showers on Pennsylvania State University’s campus.
Sandusky’s defence lawyer Joseph Amendola has said any prison term longer than 20 years would be a “life sentence” for his client and that he is preparing an appeal.
Sandusky’s defence team has contended they did not have enough time to prepare for the high-profile trial.
On the eve of his sentencing, Sandusky released a taped statement on Penn State’s student radio station in which he denied he committed the “alleged disgusting acts” and said his wife has been his only sex partner.
Sandusky was accused of molesting boys he recruited through a charity he founded for at-risk youth.
The one-time coach, who has been in solitary confinement, will be at least 98 years old before he is eligible for parole.
He will be transferred to the Camp Hill State Correctional Institution for evaluation to determine which of the 25 state prisons will house him.