BELLEFONTE -- Matt Sandusky, through his attorney Andrew Shubin, said that he met with prosecutors this week to say for the first time that he is a molestation victim of Jerry Sandusky, his adopted father. Matt, 33, was adopted by Jerry and Dottie Sandusky as an adult, after going to live with the family as a foster child.
I must say that I'm not surprised, but I am heartbroken - for this young man and for all of the young men who Jerry Sandusky abused for so many years.
This is why Jerry Sandusky didn't take the stand yesterday. Because if he would have, the Prosecution would have called Matt Sandusky to the stand as a rebuttal witness.
His biological mother, Debra Long, expressed her concerns years ago - Rebecca sat by this woman for the last several days in court and only today found out who she was
The earliest documented report of possible abuse at the hands of Sandusky is in 1995, when his now-legally adopted son was still a teenage foster child in his home.
The adoption file for Matt Sandusky, who had a different name at the time, contains letters of concern from his mother to children and youth officials and to a Centre County judge.
Matt’s biological mother, Debra Long, testified before the grand jury.
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The signs were there...
Long’s parental rights were never terminated. It wasn’t until Matt turned 18 and became a legal adult that he was formally adopted by Jerry and Dottie.
But the relationship had some steep highs and lows.
Police records — mentioned and requested from prosecutors in a motion filed by Amendola — show that a teenage Matt ran away in 1996. In 1994 the police were called to Sandusky’s home to investigate a theft of cash and clothing that Matt had been accused of stealing.
About four months after moving to the Sandusky home, Matt attempted suicide with a girl living at the Sandusky home.
Statistics show that 50% of men sexually abused as children attempt suicide.