3 NOVEMBER 8, 2011

“He’s a brave kid. And his major concern in the whole thing was for anybody else. That was his big thing. He said, ‘I just don’t want this to happen to anybody else.’ ” THE MOTHER OF VICTIM ONE

The Patriot-News file photo, 1999 Former Penn State assistant football coach was charged last week with sexually assaulting eight boys over 15 years. ‘At last, my family and I are believed’ Mothers of two of Sandusky’s alleged victims lash out at ‘the betrayal’ and say they don’t want their sons’ stories to get lost in the scandal.

BY l The Patriot-News

e was the last victim, The mother of the Clinton County that we know of, to come boy is telling her family story. It’s a forward. story that launched a three-year grand But in many ways, he jury investigation that resulted in was the first. sexual assault charges against former HHe was one of the first with enough Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry courage to say something. To stick Sandusky, allegedly involving eight around for three years while police boys. and a grand jury talked to dozens of “I’m very proud of him,” the mother people and combed through thou- said of her son, on the brink of adult- sands of documents. hood and at the heart of what some To hang on emotionally. are calling the biggest scandal in col- To take a stand against a Goliath. lege sports. A legend. A man that some saw as a “He’s a brave kid,” she said. god. “And his major concern in the whole He was the first to be believed. Au- thing was for anybody else. That was thorities even call him Victim One. his big thing. He said, ‘I just don’t

PULITZER PRIZE ENTRY: LOCAL REPORTING JERRY SANDUSKY AND PENN STATE | PAGE 11 ‘AT LAST, MY FAMILY AND I ARE BELIEVED’ NOVEMBER 8, 2011 want this to happen to anybody else.’ ” And now he knows that he’s not alone. Ten years before he came forward, another child, now 24, had also spo- ken up. He wasn’t believed. Allega- tions he made against Sandusky about touching during a shared shower at Penn State in 1998 never resulted in charges. Sandusky, through his attorney, denies all the charges. Attorney Joe Amendola said Sandusky attributes the allegations to troubled kids who are acting out. “I’m so upset,” said the mom of the 24-year-old, who authorities are call- ing Victim Six. “My son is extremely distraught, and now to see how we were betrayed, words cannot tell you. To see that is put- ting his unconditional support behind Curley and Shultz when he should be putting his support behind the vic- tims, it just makes them victims all over again.” She’s talking about the perjury and failure-to-report charges filed against former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and resigned Vice Presi- dent for Business and Finance Gary Both said they don’t want their sons’ Schultz. stories to get lost in the scandal. Prosecutors allege the administra- tors ignored a 2002 report from a Victim One graduate assistant — identified by Victim One met Sandusky through sources as Mike McQueary — that — a charity for he saw Sandusky having sex with a needy children that Sandusky started young boy in a shower. — and quickly got drawn into his McQueary, now an assistant coach world of big-time college football: for the Nittany Lions football team, gifts, trips, sporting events, and hang- went to his father first, then to coach ing out with a guy who seemed to be Joe . loved by everyone. “I don’t even have words to talk But his mother said it came at a about the betrayal that I feel,” said the price. mom of Victim Six. “[McQueary] was The Patriot-News will not identify a grown man, and he saw a boy be- either woman or their sons in keeping ing sodomized He ran and called his with our policy not to name victims of daddy?” sexual assault. The mother of Vic- As media from around the country tim One specifically asked that other descended on Happy Valley on Mon- media respect her request for no more day to dig into the allegations and the interviews. details of a possible coverup, the two She brought the psychologist who mothers decided to talk to The Patri- has been helping her son cope with ot-News. the trauma to the interview.

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Almost from day one, psycholo- viewed by police. That’s not atypical gist Michael Gillum has met regu- for sex cases involving teens, Gillum larly with the boy and counseled said. him through the protracted police “It’s essentially peeling back the investigation. A few weeks before her layers of an onion,” Gillum said. “Be- son broke down and confessed to a cause it’s so humiliating. It’s so much principal at Central Mountain High mental anguish. They typically want School in Clinton County that he was you to know something inappropriate being molested by Jerry Sandusky — a happened, then there was a progres- volunteer football coach at his high sion where boundaries were violated.” school — his mother began to suspect But sometimes it takes time for the something was victim to get it all wrong. “I’m so upset. My son is extremely out. First, it was be- distraught, and now to see That’s something cause her son was how we were betrayed, Amendola points acting out. When to in defense. she grounded him, words cannot tell you.” He said it ap- she said Sandusky VICTIM SIX’S MOTHER pears someone demanded he be coaxed this victim able to “take care of it.” into embellishing his story because it “I said, ‘No way, he’s my kid,’ ” she changed from groping to more graph- said. ic sex acts. Then, her son began asking her Gillum called it a typical defense about an online database for “sex tactic. weirdos.” “They will imply that I must have “You don’t want to just accuse peo- led the witness,” he said. “But when ple of that,” the mother said. “I called you’re specialized in children and the school principal and the guid- adolescent child abuse, you’re trained ance counselor and said, if nothing to make sure you wouldn’t compro- else, he’s taking my son out of classes. mise the evidence.” He’s leaving the school with him. So I asked them to call him into the office Victim Six and ask [my son] how he felt. Victim Six cried when he read the “They did call him to the office that 23-page grand jury presentment re- day, and I remember [the principal] leased Saturday, his mother said. And was in tears and she said, ‘You need to not for himself. come here right away.’ ” “He had no idea how bad it was,” she Her son, then 15, broke down and said. “He was lucky. He only had that told them what happened. one contact with him.” “They told me to go home and think It allegedly happened in May 1998, about what I wanted to do, and I was following a tour of the football locker not happy,” she said. “They said I rooms. Her son and another boy, both needed to think about how that would 11, shared a shower with Sandusky. impact my son if I said something like When he got home he said, ‘If you’re that. I went home and got [my son], wondering why my hair is wet, we and we came to [Children and Youth took a shower together,’ and ran into Services] immediately.” his room, his mom recalls. Officials at Central Mountain High She called police. School have said they immediately But after a six-week investigation reported the abuse, and Attorney that included the mother confront- General Linda Kelly praised them for ing Sandusky in her home as police doing the right thing. listened in the other room, Sandusky The boy’s story would evolve over was cleared. the next few weeks as he was inter- Then-Centre County District Attor-

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ney Ray Gricar decided there wasn’t “At last, my family and I are be- enough evidence. lieved,” she said. “Because they tried “And you’re going to tell me that to make my son and the other boy out Spanier and Paterno weren’t informed to be liars.” of something that was that huge that Ray Gricar was in on it but Spanier Every day was a struggle was kept in the dark?” she said. “I’m Finding the courage to come for- just not that stupid. I’m so upset I just ward was supposed to be the hardest can’t believe it.” part. Paterno’s son, Scott, has said that “We expected you just arrest people lawyers for Penn State assured him who do stuff like that,” Victim One’s his father was never told about the mom said. “We didn’t realize it was 1998 report — in- going to be this vestigated by uni- “That poor child. My heart difficult and take versity police. is like breaking for this boy this long.” It’s unclear from and his family. And what about The three-year the presentment all the boys we don’t know about? investigation even- if Spanier knew. They could have all been saved.” tually ended with However, Schultz, a grand jury find- Victim six’s mother, talking about Victim One and his family who was in charge ing that Sandusky of the police force, had eight victims acknowledged knowing about it. — two of them had long-term relation- When the mother confronted San- ships with Sandusky and six involved dusky, he said: “I understand. I was shared showers in Lasch Building at wrong. I wish I could get forgiveness. Penn State, which houses the football I know I won’t get it from you. I wish program. I were dead,” according the present- “I am upset that it took this long, ment from the grand jury. but I also realize that the more people An investigator for Children and they find, the less impact it’s going to Youth Services broke the news to the have on my son and it’s only going to mother: It was all a big mistake, the help everybody else,” the mom said. mother said she was told. Hearing that he wasn’t alone was a The police officer who investigated challenge of emotions for her son. won’t comment. “He wasn’t happy that it happened Neither will the former police chief. to somebody else,” she said. “Jerry Sandusky admitted to my But in a way, there was some relief: face, he admitted it,” the mother said. more chance that he would be be- “He admitted that he lathered up my lieved. son, they were naked and he bear- It was very hard to keep their cool, hugged him. If they would have done to keep the allegations a secret and something about it in 1998, and then not talk to anyone. But they did it. again in 2002 ­— there was two chanc- When the arrests were announced es they dropped the ball and I think Saturday, and the family learned that they should all be held accountable.” two Penn State officials had known Her son, she said, can’t stop thinking about a prior incident and didn’t re- about Victim One. port it to police, she flipped out. “That poor child,” she said. “My “I’m infuriated that people would heart is like breaking for this boy not report something like that,” she and his family. And what about all said. “I still can’t believe it. I’m ap- the boys we don’t know about? They palled. I’m shocked. I’m stunned. could have all been saved.” The only There’s so many words. I’m very mad. semblance of comfort their family has They could have prevented this from had in the last three days is from com- happening.” munity support. Her son has accused Sandusky of

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four years of abuse, and it started not HOW TO GET HELP long after Curley and Schultz were ► If you suspect child abuse, call Childline: notified of a abuse report in 2002. 800-932-0313. The attorney general has said their ► If you are a victim seeking counseling, inaction allowed Sandusky to molest you can find a trained abuse psychologist this boy. through the Psychological As- His mom said he knows that. sociation: www.PaPsy.org, or 717-232-3817. “He’s very angry,” she said. “I just can’t fathom how anybody could do that. When I read the indictment, I not?’ ” was very shocked that there was so Her son replied, “You just don’t do many people that didn’t do anything that.” and there had to be more people “His attorney was saying how these covering it up, I think, for him to get disadvantaged children, you can’t away with it for this long.” trust them because they come from When her son first came forward, low income. I don’t think that has any every day was a struggle. There was bearing on anything,” she said. this overwhelming feeling of decep- “I was warned that is what this basi- tion. cally would be about, because kids in Sandusky was supposed to be a role The Second Mile are basically disad- model. vantaged.” “In the beginning, it was extremely In the first page of their present- upsetting. I was so shocked. It got so ment, grand jurors noted that, too. bad we didn’t know what to do,” she They accused Sandusky of using the said. charity to find his victims, “many of “[He] is really, really afraid of Jerry. whom were vulnerable due to their He told me numerous times when social situations.” he started backing away from him, “Obviously it’s a price that the brave you just can’t tell him no. I said, ‘why victim pays,” Gillum said.

“It’s essentially peeling back the layers of an onion. Because it’s so humiliating. It’s so much mental anguish. They typically want you to know something inappropriate happened, then there was a progression where boundaries were violated.” PSYCHOLOGIST MICHAEL GILLUM, who has met regularly with Victim One

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