One of the twists of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse case was when his adopted son, Matt, switched from supporting his father to being one of his accusers.
Matt Sandusky, now 33, testified to the grand jury that he was not abused by his adoptive father. But after hearing the testimony of some of the victims (specifically victim 4), Matt changed his mind and contacted prosecutors about testifying against Jerry.
Matt Sandusky was worried about possible perjury charges for lying to the grand jury so he didn’t end up testifying, but his testimony threat was enough to keep Jerry from taking the stand.
Matt apparently spoke with the police and detailed the abuse that only recently came to mind.
According to a report from NBC News, Matt Sandusky says that he pretended to be asleep in order to avoid being touched, that Jerry showered with him before he was adopted, and that Jerry touched his genitals.
Audio of Matt Sandusky’s interview with police is below:
Here are details regarding what was heard on the tape:
Recalling the testimony of other Sandusky victims, he says it was “like the showering, with the hugging, with the rubbing, with the just talking to me, the way he spoke.”
At one point on the tape, Matt replies “yes” when a detective asks if the incidents included “rubbing along and against your gentials.”
Matt Sandusky, NBC News reports, also says he ran away from home on one occasion and on another tried to commit suicide.
“I really know I wanted to die at that point in time,” he says on the tape.
It’s pretty easy to understand why Matt Sandusky was so conflicted and why it took him so long to admit the abuse. He was understandably in as much denial as possible. Also, he was facing a unique situation — he would have to go against his entire family and risk losing his loved ones by telling the truth. That’s not an easy decision for anyone, regardless of the situation.
We feel terribly for Matt and all the victims of Jerry Sandusky’s abuse, and we hope the courage they demonstrated by coming forward with their accusations was a liberating exercise that will allow them to live more comfortably in the future.
Photo Credit: Mara Ticcino/The Daily Collegian-US PRESSWIRE
