Jerry Sandusky son files request to change name
An adopted son of disgraced former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has filed papers to have his name and the names of his family changed.
Matt Sandusky, one of Jerry Sandusky's six adopted children, filed a formal name change request in Centre County Court in Bellefonte, Pa., on Tuesday, a little over a year after his adoptive father was convicted on 45 counts of sexual abuse. If the request is approved, Matt Sandusky's wife and four children would also have their now-infamous surname changed.
He originally denied being abused by his adoptive father and was expected to be a defense witness, according to the Associated Press, but admitted during trial that Jerry Sandusky abused him, too.
Matt Sandusky told police he was molested between the ages of 8 and 15, and that Jerry Sandusky would often shower with him and sometimes rub near and against his genitals.
The reason for the request was not disclosed. In 2012, Matt Sandusky said he revealed his stepfather's abuse so that his family "could really have closure and see what the truth actually is."
Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison last fall. In January, his request for a new trial was denied.
In his 2001 autobiography, "Touched," Sandusky wrote about his relationship with Matt, who he met through the Second Mile charity.
"He would visit our house occasionally, but he was never one to get very attached to anyone. He would stand off in the corner somewhere and watch as I would be wrestling with the other kids. He became an instant challenge for me," Sandusky wrote. "I didn't want to see him go through life by himself at such a young age. I didn't want to lose him to whatever other fates might have awaited him, so I kept trying and trying to pull him in."
