Former Penn State coach convicted on SA charges maintained his innocence. Now an accuser plans to recant testimony

A significant development has emerged in the long-running case of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. One of the men who testified against the 82-year-old at trial is now preparing to recant his testimony. As a result, an evidentiary hearing has been scheduled for September 8 in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

According to The New York Post, Sandusky was convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse in 2012 and is serving a 30-to 60-year prison sentence. In an interview from a Pennsylvania state prison about his case, he told 6 ABC, “This is the worst experience of my life.” He further insisted, “I am an innocent man, and I have been convicted by so many people with their own personal agendas, and this was an opportunity to take advantage of a tremendous personal gain.”

The accuser recanting his testimony is identified in court documents as Victim 10, or R.R. In a signed affidavit from June 30, 2025, R.R claimed his testimony during the original trial was the result of “leading questions, intense investigative pressure and psychological manipulation.” Per The Athletic, R.R stated, “I was misled repeatedly during the process, particularly by prosecutor Joe McGettigan. I now regret my role in facilitating what I have come to view as a deeply flawed prosecution.”

Forceful prosecution

The Athletic reported that the specific allegations regarding how this testimony was formed are quite detailed. According to the affidavit, R.R noted, “[T]hroughout the pretrial process, I was told — both directly and indirectly — that trauma may have fragmented my memory, and that I could safely affirm details I did not fully recall. I was assured this was common and even expected.” 

R.R also reportedly mentioned that he was coached during meetings. This included one session that reportedly lasted approximately six hours, where he was asked to adjust his account until it matched the prosecution’s expectations. He noted in his writing, “I was led to believe that failing to testify in the manner prosecutors expected would allow a dangerous man to escape justice.” 

Per the NY Post, Sandusky’s legal team is planning to use this recantation to argue that the former coach received ineffective counsel during his original trial. They intend to emphasize that lead prosecutors Joe McGettigan and Frank Fina used “psychological manipulation” and “investigative pressure” to influence the testimony of the victims. This isn’t the only high-profile testimony being recanted.

6 ABC noted that McGettigan passed away in December 2025. However, per the NY Post,  the defense is also bringing forward other additional testimony, including that of Victim 10’s estranged wife, who is prepared to state that her former husband originally denied being abused by Sandusky.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has pushed back against these claims. Per The Athletic, they provided a statement to ABC News, describing the wife’s potential testimony as “irrelevant and inadmissible.” They reportedly noted that it involves someone pondering events from thirteen years ago. The office also referred to the recantation itself as a “highly suspect recantation that was offered by the defense.”

Defense is also bringing forward a victim’s mother and investigative journalist Frank Parlato. Parlato has been immersed in the case for three years and is making a documentary on the same. He told 6 ABC, “I believe 100% he is innocent and I didn’t begin that way.” Speaking of the victim’s mother, Paralto claimed, “Her son was coached from a position of ‘Jerry didn’t do anything to me’ to ‘Jerry molested me’ by the same prosecutors.”

For his part, Sandusky remains focused on the upcoming hearing. He told 6 ABC that he wants to clear his name for the sake of his family, saying, “I want to be home in the worst way, and I want my grandkids to know the truth.” Interestingly, Ashton Kutcher once indirectly supported Sandusky by arguing for the colleagues who supported him.

Sandusky also reportedly asserted that financial incentives played a major role in the case, adding, “Money became such a huge motive for everybody, and they incentivized the accusers and led them. Without leading, the accusers in the beginning didn’t make allegations.”

It is important to note that even if the charges related to R.R are dismissed, Sandusky’s broader conviction remains in place. He is currently incarcerated for crimes involving ten different boys, most of whom he met through his Second Mile charity, which operated from 1977 until his arrest in 2011.