McQueary takes stand in Sandusky trial

Former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary told jurors in Jerry Sandusky’s sex abuse trial Tuesday that he saw his ex-colleague with a prepubescent boy in an on-campus shower and that he that he heard “skin-on-skin smacking sound.”

Sandusky is on trial on 52 criminal counts related to the alleged assaults of 10 boys during a 15-year period. Authorities alleged Sandusky abused boys at his home and inside the football team’s on-campus facilities, among other places.

McQueary’s account of the night he allegedly saw Sandusky assaulting a child differed little from his appearance in December at a preliminary hearing for Penn State administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. However, there were a few differences in his testimony on Tuesday.

McQueary said the shower encounter took place in 2001 instead of 2002. In addition, McQueary said he had three views of a situation in the shower whereas he originally told police he had two views. When he walked in the first time, McQueary said he looked in a mirror and saw Sandusky and a boy in a sexual situation. He then turned around and saw them. The third time he saw them, they were separated.

Karl Rominger, who is part of Sandusky’s defense team, questioned McQueary’s story and asked him about how many views he allegedly saw. In addition, a grand jury report said Sandusky was having anal sex with the boy, but on Tuesday McQueary said he did not see an erection or insertion.

The effect of what he saw and heard was unchanged, he said, responding to questions from Senior Deputy Attorney General Joseph McGettigan.

McQueary told the jury that he was at home, in bed, watching the film “Rudy,” when he decided to go to the football team building. He said he walked into the support staff locker room to put away a pair of new sneakers and, as he opened the door, he heard the noise.

“Very much skin-on-skin smacking sound,” he said. “I immediately became alert and was kind of embarrassed that I was walking in on something.”

He said that he turned and glanced over his right shoulder at a mirror that had a 45-degree angle and saw Sandusky “standing behind a boy who was propped up against a wall.” He estimated the boy to be 10 to 12 years old.

He said that the “boy’s hands (were) up on the wall. The glance would have taken only one or two seconds. I immediately turned back to my locker to make sure I saw what I saw.”

McQueary said he was not in the locker room for more than a minute, then he put his shoes in the locker and slammed it shut, hard.

“I made the loud noise in an attempt to say ‘Someone’s here! Break it up!’” McQueary said.

When asked what he saw, McQueary said “the defendant’s midsection was moving” subtly. He said he then went upstairs to his office.

“It was more than my brain could handle,” he said. “I was making decisions on the fly. I picked up the phone and called my father to get advice from the person I trusted most in my life, because I just saw something ridiculous.”

He said he called his father and was very vague with his father on the phone. He said his dad, John, told him to leave immediately and come to the house. McQueary said he also called Joe Paterno and spoke to Paterno for about 10-12 minute.

A week later, Tim Curley called McQueary and they discussed what happened. McQueary told Curley that it was disturbing and said it was definitely sexual in nature. McQueary further said he thought he was talking to police when he went to Gary Schultz, who was head of the Penn State University Police Department.

McQueary said when he saw Sandusky after the alleged incident, the encounter was not mentioned.

McQueary’s testimony came after a teenager told jurors that a school district guidance counselor initially didn’t believe his abuse claims because the former Penn State assistant football coach was considered to have “a heart of gold.”

Earlier on Tuesday, a teenager called Victim 1 in court papers — whose complaints by his mother about Jerry Sandusky in 2008 prompted a grand jury investigation — testified against the former Penn State assistant coach.

Victim 1, who is now 18 years old, testified today Sandusky fondled him, kissed him and ultimately engaged in a sex act. He is credited for sparking the investigation after an incident at a Clinton County high school in 2008.

Sandusky returned to the courthouse in Bellefonte just after 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Sandusky and his attorney maintain that the young men are accusers, not victims, and said the men have a financial interest in the case.

The teen was brought to tears on the witness stand when he recalled his relationship with Sandusky. He said he met Sandusky at a Second Mile camp and at first thought there was nothing wrong with their relationship. The recent high school graduate said he did not remember the first time he stayed over at Sandusky’s house, but said he slept in the basement more than 100 times.

He said Sandusky would come down, massage him and crack his back, but it eventually led to touching that made him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. He told the court he too afraid to speak up. He admitted he had a lot of fun playing football with Sandusky and going to other events, and that his mother was happy that he had a role model in his life.

Victim 1 told the court that the advances became more sexual and forceful in nature, and he broke down on the witness stand and said Dottie Sandusky was upstairs when this happened. He recalled trying to hide in the Sanduskys’ basement resisting Jerry Sandusky’s advances but he said, “There was nowhere to hide.”

He said Jerry Sandusky made visits to his high school and his grades eventually suffered. He said that Sandusky became angry when he tried to avoid him. He said he eventually asked his mother if there was a Megan’s Law website and wanted to know if Sandusky was on it. That eventually led to a meeting with the school and police.

During cross examination, Sandusky’s attorney, Joe Amendola, asked if the young man or his family ever dreamed of getting rich. Victim 1 replied, “No.”

Amendola said Victim 1 did not tell the whole story to Children and Youth Services, saying he even lied about his relationship with Sandusky. The teen said he was scared and even hired an attorney to keep the media away from him.

Amendola asked Victim 1 if he was pressured into telling his story. He said he met with state police many times and told them there were more kids out there and he wasn’t alone.

A social worker who met with Victim 1 said she had enough information after her second meeting with the teen to determine the former Penn State assistant football coach had abused the boy.

Clinton County Children & Youth Services caseworker Jessica Dershem confirmed an investigation began in November 2008. Dershem testified Tuesday that the teen identified by prosecutors was initially uncomfortable talking to her, but she said he soon began to give her detailed accounts of sexual encounters involving Sandusky.

Dershem said after her second interview with the child, the agency decided it had enough evidence of assault to contact police.

Dershem said she also met with Sandusky. She said he denied having sexual contact with the boy but did acknowledge lying on top of him and blowing “raspberries” on the boy’s stomach. She further testified that Sandusky said he was trying to bolster the child’s ego because he did not have much of a family life.

On Monday, prosecutors warned the testimony would be graphic and gruesome. That day, Victim 4 said Sandusky treated him like his girlfriend and gave him expensive gifts in exchange for sexual favors.

Victim 4, who was the first witness to take the stand against the former Penn State assistant coach, said he regrets having kept the alleged sexual abuse a secret and feels guilty that prosecutors said other boys were victimized after him.

The man told jurors on Monday that the 68-year-old Sandusky molested him in the locker room showers and in hotels while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips.

The 28-year-old man said Sandusky sent him “creepy love letters” and treated him like a son in public, but like a girlfriend in private.

Legal experts told 6 News that prosecutors from the Attorney General’s office had a good first day in court on Monday, making a strong case that Sandusky committed serial sex abuse crimes.

There is a gag order in the case, but it does not include attorneys who are representing the alleged victims. The attorneys have been around the courthouse offering their insight into the case and Tom Kline, the attorney for the man referred to in court papers as Victim 5, said prosecutors have already made a strong case.

“My client is one of many of the now alleged victims that will come forward and testify that he was in the shower like the young man you heard testify (Monday) in the courtroom and some of the same kinds of conduct occurred,” Kline said.

As she did on Monday, Sandusky’s wife, Dottie, was by his side as he arrived for the second day of testimony. She was not permitted in the courtroom for much of Monday’s proceedings because she may be asked to take the witness stand.

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