BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Jerry Sandusky's lawyers finished putting on their case Wednesday without calling the former Penn State assistant football coach to the stand to rebut child sex abuse allegations that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.
The trial has lasted seven days, with jurors hearing from eight men — now 18 to 28 — who said the former coach sexually assaulted them after they met him through the charity he founded.
Sandusky is charged with 51 criminal counts for alleged abuse of 10 boys over 15 years. He has denied the allegations but acknowledged in interviews following his arrest that he had showered with boys.
The accusers described for jurors a range of sexual abuse as his hands, from allegations of grooming and fondling to oral sex and forced anal sex that one young man said left him injured.
The defense has suggested the accusers have financial motivations for their claims and were improperly influenced by investigators. They also put on character witnesses who spoke of Sandusky's sound reputation and his wife, who said her husband didn't do anything inappropriate.
The defense rested after an approximately 40-minute closed-door meeting involving attorneys, Sandusky and the judge overseeing the case.
The next step in the trial is closing arguments, set for Thursday morning.