One of the ten individuals who accused former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky of sexual abuse is preparing to retract his testimony. This information is detailed in court documents that The Athletic obtained on Friday.
Jerry Sandusky, now 82, is scheduled to appear at an evidentiary hearing in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, on September 8. A judge has allowed him to review evidence suggesting the accuser, known in court as R.R. or Victim 10, is reconsidering his earlier testimony.
A report by Onward State first highlighted the upcoming trial. In a signed statement from June 30, 2025, Victim 10 claimed he was pressured into altering his story. He stated his testimony evolved due to leading questions, significant investigative pressure, and emotional manipulation.
“I was misled repeatedly during the process, particularly by prosecutor Joe McGettigan,” Victim 10 stated in the affidavit.
Victim 10 expressed regret over his involvement in what he now sees as a deeply flawed prosecution. Joe McGettigan, who passed away in December 2025, led the prosecution in this prominent case that severely impacted Penn State and resulted in coach Joe Paterno’s dismissal in 2011.
Even if the charges linked to Victim 10 are dropped, Sandusky is unlikely to leave prison. He is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence, following his 2012 conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse.
Sandusky is seen entering a courthouse in 2016 to contest his conviction.
Sandusky’s legal team has pushed for a trial upon discovering Victim 10’s assertion that his trauma might have obscured his memory, leaving him feeling compelled to confirm details he could not fully recall.
Victim 10 claimed he was influenced by suggestions that if he did not testify as the prosecutors anticipated, it could allow a dangerous individual to elude justice. He later realized his testimony had serious implications for Sandusky’s life sentence.
Pretrial coaching was involved, Victim 10 explained, including a session of nearly six hours where he was repeatedly prompted to modify his statements to fit the prosecution’s narrative.
“I ask the courts, and any fair-minded reader, to consider that my testimony may have reflected not willful falsehood, but a tragic convergence of memory uncertainty, professional suggestion, prosecutorial coercion, and my own vulnerability,” Victim 10 explained.
Sandusky’s attorneys disclosed that Victim 10’s estranged wife intends to testify, claiming he initially denied abuse by Sandusky.
Despite these claims, Pennsylvania Attorney General prosecutors informed ABC News that the woman’s views 13 years post-trial hold no relevance or admissibility.
Victim 10, who was awarded $5.5 million in a civil lawsuit against Penn State, has not clarified if he plans to retract all allegations or some specific details. His stance on the settlement he received remains unspecified.
Attorney Andrew Shubin, named by Victim 10 as part of his legal team during the civil suit, declined to comment or confirm if he still represents him.
Jerry Sandusky has continuously asserted his innocence since the original charges. Sandusky was part of Paterno’s team from 1969 to 1999. His charitable organization, The Second Mile, which was active until his arrest in 2011, aimed to support underprivileged youth. It played a significant role in how Sandusky met many victims.