Prosecution in Sandusky trial wraps up its case; defense to present next

After five days of building its case, the prosecution in the Jerry Sandusky child-sex abuse trial wrapped up on Monday.

Prosecutors called to the stand eight young men who claim the former Penn State assistant coach sexually abused them in a variety of ways when they were children. There are also two alleged victims who haven’t been identified.

Jurors also heard testimony from assistant coach Mike McQueary, who said he saw Sandusky naked in a team shower apparently sodomizing a boy; a police detective who investigated Sandusky in 1998 and said charges should have been filed then; and a man who testified that his co-worker at Penn State saw Sandusky making a boy perform oral sex on him.

Next, Sandusky’s defense attorneys will start presenting their case and put their own witnesses on the stand.

The 68-year-old Sandusky has denied allegations of abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period, and his attorney has suggested the accusers have financial motives.

On Friday, Judge John Cleland ruled in favor of a Sandusky motion seeking to put evidence of “histrionic personality disorder” before jurors in his child sexual abuse case. The ruling means Sandusky can have an expert testify about a psychiatric condition that could explain his letters and other alleged grooming of victims.

Cleland’s order said Sandusky must also make himself available for prosecutors so they can prepare rebuttal testimony.

The defense says people with the disorder wouldn’t necessarily be grooming boys to molest them, but instead to “satisfy the needs of a psyche” with the disorder.

Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.