Sandusky Taught Boys How to Shower? Attorney Clarifies Statement
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Centre County Correctional Facility via Getty Images(STATE COLLEGE, Pa.) — An attorney on the defense team of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky says his comment that his client may have showered with boys as a way to teach them about hygiene was taken out of context.
After Sandusky’s court hearing this week on sexual molestation charges, defense attorney Karl Rominger was asked by the media what could motivate someone to take a shower with a youth. Rominger said, “People who work with troubled youth will tell you that there are a lot of juvenile delinquents or people who are dependent who have to be taught basic life skills like how to put soap on their body.” He now says his answer was exaggerated and taken out of context.
Rominger issued a statement Thursday saying, “When answering why a person might be in a shower with a youth, I proposed one hypothetical, such as an adult leading by example and encouraging a youth with bad or poor hygiene to shower regularly.”
The attorney’s statement continues, “Some commentators have argued that I am saying that Mr. Sandusky showered with youths and touched them inappropriately for the purpose of teaching them how to shower. That is not what I said.”
Rominger defends his client in his statement, saying, “First, there’s no evidence of inappropriate touching in a shower, except for discredited statements from the grand jury presentment. Further, Jerry has maintained his innocence and denies any sexual touching or inappropriate touching in the shower.”
The statement concludes with, “Therefore, I would like to clarify that I am not suggesting that this is what happened in this case, but was answering questions about possible motivations an individual might have for an adult to shower with a juvenile.”
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