The child sex abuse trial of a former Pennsylvania State University football coach starts Tuesday in a scandal that shook the school and its vaunted football program and opened a national dialogue on sexual predation in sports. Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant coach, faces 52 counts of molesting 10 boys over a 15-year period. Prosecutors allege Sandusky, 68, met the boys through a charity he founded and some of the assaults occurred at Penn State facilities. The explosive charges in November 2011 forced the firing of university President Graham Spanier and of Joe Paterno, college football's winningest coach and head of the highly respected program for 45 years. Months later, Paterno died of lung cancer at age 85. The grand jury charges marked a watershed in awareness of child sexual abuse since Sandusky seemed to be an unlikely predator - a well-respected former coach in one of the United States' most popular and macho games, college football. The Penn State scandal “has given us a window into the soul of our country. We have been forced to see that when it comes to child sexual abuse, we are a nation of bystanders,” said Victor Vieth, executive director of the National Child Protection Training Center, which trains police and other professionals in reporting abuse. As the Sandusky shockwave spread, sex abuse hotlines and lawyers saw an upsurge in calls and emails. Allegations of sexual abuse also surfaced against a Syracuse University assistant basketball coach and a counselor at The Citadel, a military college. Jury selection begins Tuesday in Center County Court of Common Pleas in Bellefonte. The trial will start on June 11 at the earliest, Judge John Cleland said last week. Sandusky's lawyer, Joe Amendola, has repeatedly sought a delay in the trial, saying he needs more time to prepare. He asked an appeals court Thursday for a postponement after Cleland rejected his latest request. Prosecutors allege Sandusky had physical contact with the boys, known in court documents as Victims 1 to 10, that ranged from tickling and a “soap battle” in Penn State showers. Sandusky spent 32 years as an assistant under Paterno before retiring after the 1999 season. He masterminded fearsome defenses and under him the school became known as “Linebacker U.” Sandusky is accused of using the Second Mile, a charity he founded in 1977, to prey on needy young boys. The charity said last month it was closing because contributions had dried up. If convicted on all counts, Sandusky could be sentenced to more than 500 years in prison. He is under house arrest with a $250,000 bail.
