BELLEFONTE - Jerry Sandusky has been found guilty of 45 of 48 charges of sexually assaulting 10 young boys.
He was found not guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse related to Victim 2, under count 7, as well as indecent assault for victims 5 and 6.
The Centre County jury deliberated about 21 hours before reaching its verdict Friday night. The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant coach was accused of sexually abusing the boys over a 15-year period.
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AP photo/Nabil K. Mark, Centre Daily Times
Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse Friday in Bellefonte after being found guilty of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years.
Bail has been revoked and Sandusky was committed to Centre County Correctional Facility.
Attorney General Linda Kelly praised the investigators, including Agent Anthony Sassano, for their efforts to bring Sandusky, a "serial predator pedophile," to justice. She commended the victims for coming forward to tell their stories to the jury, stories that were believed by investigators and most importantly, the jury.
"The Sandusky family is very disappointed obviously by the verdict of the jury but we respect their verdict," defense attorney Joseph Amendola said outside of court once Senior Judge John Cleland's gag order was lifted.
"We have appeal issues. We believe we have decent appeal issues," Amendola said.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the Centre County Courthouse and cheered the verdict. They also jeered Amendola during his statement to the media.
Amendola said his client didn't testify in his own behalf because of the specter of adopted son Matt Sandusky testifying against his father, stating that it would have "destroyed" any chance of an acquittal.
Gov. Tom Corbett, who was the state attorney general when the Sandusky grand jury investigation began, issued a statement after the verdict.
"First, I want to thank the jury for their willingness to serve on such a difficult case,'' Corbett said.
"I also want to commend the multiple victims in this case who had the courage to come forward and testify in court, confronting Sandusky, and proving beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty of these reprehensible crimes.
"The agents and prosecutors of the Attorney General's Office, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, also deserve a great deal of credit for today's verdict. They pursued every lead, gathering evidence from multiple victims, in order to bring this man to justice."
Penn State issued a statement as well, stating that the legal process has spoken and the university has tremendous respect for the men who came forward to tell their stories publicly.
"No verdict can undo the pain and suffering caused by Mr. Sandusky, but we do hope this judgment helps the victims and their families along their path to healing," according to the statement.
"The Board of Trustees and current administration maintain a steadfast commitment to pursuing the truth regarding Mr. Sandusky's actions. While we cannot change what happened, we can and do accept the responsibility to take action on the societal issue of child sexual abuse-both in our community and beyond. The university is committed to ensuring that our campuses are safe for children and to being a constructive participant in building greater awareness of child sexual abuse and the practical steps that can be undertaken to prevent, report and respond to such abuse."
"The university has already established a confidential counseling process for victims of Mr. Sandusky's conduct, and that process remains open."
Penn State also said it plans to invite victims of Sandusky's abuse to participate in a program to resolve claims against the university arising out of Sandusky's conduct.
"The purpose of the program is simple: The university wants to provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims' concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the university. Counsel to the university plan to reach out to counsel to the victims of Mr. Sandusky's abuse in the near future with additional details," the statement said.
