Jerry Sandusky Returns to Court Seeking Change to Terms of Bail
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Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesUPDATE: Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky dismissed allegations Friday that he has been leering at school children from his back deck and argued that he should be allowed to visit at least with his grandchildren while under house arrest for child molestation charges.
Judge John Cleland said that he would rule on the requests from both the defense and the prosecution quickly, perhaps by next week.
(BELLEFONTE, Pa.) — Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will be back in court Friday morning, hoping to convince a judge to change the conditions of his house arrest so that he can see his grandchildren.
The 68-year-old, who is charged with 52 counts relating to child molestation for the alleged abuse of 10 victims during a 15-year period, says his grandkids have expressed sadness about not being able to see him and he wants the terms of his bail changed so they can visit.
Still, prosecutors oppose it. They say house arrest is comparable to incarceration and, therefore, Sandusky should be treated as if he were locked up in Centre County prison.
“House arrest is not meant to be a house party. Contact visits do not occur in the Centre County prison and should not occur during [Sandusky’s] house arrest,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly wrote in objections submitted to the court, according to StateCollege.com.
“This defendant is categorically different from other defendants and should be treated differently from others on house arrest in Centre County,” she continued.
Prosecutors say Sandusky’s home is where many of his alleged victims were molested, and if anything, they want to see his bail terms tightened so that he can’t sit on his back porch, as he’s currently allowed to do. His outdoor presence has concerned local residents, especially since there’s a school playground adjacent to his property.
Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola, called the fears “totally unfounded.”
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