“These allegations are false. I didn’t do those things.”
Jerry Sandusky uttered those nine words this week to a New York Times reporter in his second media interview since being charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse. As the case builds though, will those nine words later be used against him? Yes.
Earlier this week, a major factor in the maximum sentencing doled out to Dr. Conrad Murray were words he uttered in a media interview, “I don’t feel guilty because I did not do anything wrong.” The judge used his own words against him to prove that Murray showed no remorse or personal responsibility and thus deserved a maximum sentence.
And now, in a front-page interview for the New York Times, Sandusky takes absolutely no personal responsibility for the alleged attacks. Sandusky defends his actions by saying the children in his The Second Mile program were “almost an extended family.” He says the physical aspects of the relationships, including wrestling, hugging and showering with children “just happened that way…I think a lot of the kids really reached out for that.”
While Sandusky’s defenses and justifications are shocking, to me the most mind-boggling part is the fact that his attorney, Joseph Amendola, is sitting there the entire time allowing his client to dig himself deeper and deeper into this mess without saying a word!
Amendola interjects rarely, like when Sandusky almost admits, for the second time, that he is sexually attracted to young boys. Reporter Jo Becker asks Sandusky about his interview with Bob Costas on NBC and his stumbling answer when asked point-blank if he’s sexually attracted to young boys. Once again, Sandusky sticks his foot in his mouth, all while his attorney looks on.
“What in the world is this question, if I say no that’s not the truth because I’m attracted to young people, boys, girls.” Finally, his attorney interrupts saying, “not sexually,” leading Sandusky to clarify, though only making himself sound even worse:
“I enjoy spending time with young people. I enjoy spending time with young people and old people. The young because they don’t think about what they say, the old because they don’t care. They are who they are. They don’t try to impress people. Those are my two favorite groups of people.”
To readers, this interview paints the picture of a creepy man who preyed on the most vulnerable, unaware of how wrong his alleged actions were. To Pennsylvania state prosecutors, this interview will provide a blueprint for how they will build their case against Sandusky, portraying him as a man who abused his position of power to take advantage of children in a most terrible way. To criminal defense attorneys across the country, this interview, hopefully, will be a lesson: when the media comes knocking, tell your client to shut the h*ll up.