BELLEFONTE, CENTRE COUNTY - Jerry Sandusky will spend the rest of his life behind bars, and although he continues to maintain his innocence, his victims say justice is being served.
Jerry Sandusky walks out of the Centre County Courthouse headed to a life behind bars and the attorney's for the young men he abused say it's what they've been waiting for.
"I think it's a victory for everybody," Michael Boni said. "Victory may not be the right word, but it's certainly a catharsis. It's a release after this long, arduous process to get to this day."
Boni represents Victim 1. The lead prosecutor read his statement aloud to the court. The statement explains how much abuse victim one endured by Jerry Sandusky.
"It was a very powerful statement," Boni said. "He's very emotional."
But Jerry Sandusky's Defense Attorney says Victim 1 is lying and made the whole story up.
"Yes, I think it started with number one," Joe Amendola said.
Sandusky agreed with that in a statement he made Monday night.
"A young man who was dramatic a veteran accuser, and always sought attention, started everything. He was joined by a well-orchestrated effort of the media, investigators, the system, Penn State, psychologists, civil attorneys and other accusers. They won. The attention, financial gain, prestige, will all be temporary," Sandusky said.
But Boni says the truth has persevered and his client can finally start to move on.
"This is now his mandate. He just graduated high school and he has his first job out of high school in security and he's enjoy it," he said. "He's just got to move on with his life as best he can."
That's the same sentiment we heard from other victim attorneys. They say Sandusky's statement maintaining his innocence is shocking and does nothing to help their clients heal, but they say their clients are glad to see their abuser will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Jerry Sandusky walks out of the Centre County Courthouse headed to a life behind bars and the attorney's for the young men he abused say it's what they've been waiting for.
"I think it's a victory for everybody," Michael Boni said. "Victory may not be the right word, but it's certainly a catharsis. It's a release after this long, arduous process to get to this day."
Boni represents Victim 1. The lead prosecutor read his statement aloud to the court. The statement explains how much abuse victim one endured by Jerry Sandusky.
"It was a very powerful statement," Boni said. "He's very emotional."
But Jerry Sandusky's Defense Attorney says Victim 1 is lying and made the whole story up.
"Yes, I think it started with number one," Joe Amendola said.
Sandusky agreed with that in a statement he made Monday night.
"A young man who was dramatic a veteran accuser, and always sought attention, started everything. He was joined by a well-orchestrated effort of the media, investigators, the system, Penn State, psychologists, civil attorneys and other accusers. They won. The attention, financial gain, prestige, will all be temporary," Sandusky said.
But Boni says the truth has persevered and his client can finally start to move on.
"This is now his mandate. He just graduated high school and he has his first job out of high school in security and he's enjoy it," he said. "He's just got to move on with his life as best he can."
That's the same sentiment we heard from other victim attorneys. They say Sandusky's statement maintaining his innocence is shocking and does nothing to help their clients heal, but they say their clients are glad to see their abuser will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
