This week, a former assistant coach of the Penn State football team was charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse involving eight young boys over a span of fifteen years. With the University and nation reeling from the child sex scandal, school officials and state authorities are investigating how exactly such abuse went on for so long despite reports, signs, and red flags.

According to the Associated Press, Jerry Sandusky worked under head coach Joe Paterno for 23 seasons as defensive coordinator. In 1977, he founded The Second Mile, a children's charity that put him in close contact with hundreds of young boys. So far, eight boys have come forward with claims of abuse that span more than a decade. These claims accuse Sandusky of taking advantage of kids who lived in poverty or came from troubled homes.

Although a graduate student reported that he had seen Sandusky sexually assaulting a young boy in a Penn State locker room in 2002, the football program and the university failed to alert the police. It appears that the abuse continued for years after it could have been halted.

Tragically, this is not an unfamiliar story for those that are familiar with child sex abuse cases. While the perpetrator is the main cause of abuse, there are often others in places of power that cover up the abuse, ignore the abuse, or fail to report the abuse.

At Mallard Perez, we are dedicated to helping families who are grappling with the trauma of child sex abuse with their legal needs. If you have a child sex abuse claim and would like to speak with a knowledgeable, experienced Florida child abuse attorney, contact us today. Call our toll free number or fill out our short, electronic contact form located to the right of this page.

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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