Just 8 when daddy first abused me
Sandusky adopted son’s cry of pain to cops
THE ADOPTED SON of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky told cops he was repeatedly abused by the disgraced coach — beginning when he was just 8.
And the abuse caused Matt Sandusky to consider suicide at least once, according to a report that aired Tuesday on NBC’s “Today” show.
The network obtained an audiotape of an interview between Matt Sandusky, 33, and police that took place during Jerry Sandusky’s criminal trial.
“If you were pretending you were asleep, and you were touched or rubbed in some way (by Jerry Sandusky), you could just act like you were rolling over in your sleep so you could change positions,” the son said on the audio clip.
The son’s lawyers quickly released a statement saying someone leaked the bombshell tape.
During the police interview, Matt Sandusky told authorities that he was repeatedly molested after first meeting the monster through The Second Mile charity. Jerry Sandusky founded the charity in 1977 to help disadvantaged youths.
Like many of Sandusky’s victims, including the eight who testified during the trial, Matt Sandusky spent many nights at the home of the former Penn State assistant football coach before his adoption.
Jerry and Dottie Sandusky adopted Matt when he was 18, and they are the adoptive parents of five other children.
Jerry Sandusky was convicted on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse on Friday. He faces a maximum of 442 years in prison when sentenced.
According to reports, Matt Sandusky was prepared to take the witness stand as a rebuttal witness for the prosecution and testify against his adoptive father. But he never testified after the defense didn’t put his perv dad on the stand.
Matt Sandusky was originally a defense witness, and before his police interview, he had shown support for his father, according to ABC News. He testified in front of a grand jury and didn’t mention being a victim of abuse.
The Pennsylvania attorney general's office declined to comment on the audiotape and wouldn’t say whether Matt Sandusky was ever going to be called to the witness stand. The son’s attorney Andrew Shubin did not return an email or call for comment.
In the audio clip played on NBC, Matt Sandusky said he was molested on and off between the ages of 8 to 15, and that the abuse occurred in the shower and in the bedroom in Sandusky’s home.
“I know that I really wanted to die at that point in time,” he told police.
Matt Sandusky tried to escape his alleged attacker’s home several times — one time fleeing barefoot and hiding at his grandfather's home.
Asked in the police interview why he came forward with his accusations after lying to a grand jury, Matt Sandusky said he wanted his family to know the the real story.
He came forward “so that they can really have closure and see what the truth actually is.”
Prosecutors could bring additional criminal charges against Jerry Sandusky based on the son’s accusations. There are also several civil suits filed against Jerry Sandusky, Penn State and The Second Mile.
Karl Rominger, one of the attorneys representing Jerry Sandusky, visited his client behind bars on Monday.
“He’s not a beaten man,” Rominger said. “He maintains his innocence adamantly.”