One of the ten individuals who accused former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky of sexual abuse is planning to retract his testimony. This news comes from court documents sourced by The Athletic. Sandusky, now aged 82, is scheduled to be present in court in Bellefonte, Pa., on September 8 for an evidentiary hearing. This follows a judge’s decision to permit a review of evidence suggesting that the accuser, designated as R.R. or Victim 10 in legal proceedings, has withdrawn or significantly altered his trial testimony. Onward State was the first to report on these trial proceedings.

Victim 10 provided a signed affidavit dated June 30, 2025, expressing that he felt compelled to modify his account. His statements evolved, as noted, due to ‘leading questions, intense investigative pressure, and psychological manipulation.’ He stated, ‘I was repeatedly misled during the process, particularly by prosecutor Joe McGettigan,’ within the affidavit. Victim 10 expressed regret over his involvement in what he perceives now as a flawed prosecution.

McGettigan, who passed away in December 2025, served as the chief prosecutor in a case that profoundly impacted Penn State and led to the dismissal of distinguished football coach Joe Paterno in 2011 due to the accusations. Even if Victim 10’s charges are dropped, Sandusky’s release from prison remains improbable, as he is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence due to a 2012 conviction on 45 sexual abuse charges.

Sandusky entering a courthouse in 2016 to contest his conviction. (Photo: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)

In their request for a trial, Sandusky’s legal team pointed out Victim 10’s assertion that he was informed of possible memory fragmentation due to trauma, and that he ‘could safely confirm details he did not fully recall.’ Victim 10, fearing that not testifying in accordance with prosecutors’ expectations would allow a dangerous individual to evade justice, stated he did not realize his testimony would contribute to a ‘de facto life sentence’ for Sandusky.

Victim 10 disclosed receiving intensive coaching during pretrial meetings, including one session lasting about six hours. During these meetings, he was repeatedly urged to reshape his narrative to fit what seemed to be the prosecution’s desired outcome. Victim 10 appealed to the courts and readers to consider that his testimony may not have been intentional falsehood, but rather resulted from a mix of memory uncertainty, professional advice, prosecutorial pressure, and his own susceptibility.

Sandusky’s attorneys, supported by testimony from Victim 10’s estranged wife, claim that Victim 10 initially denied any abuse by Sandusky. However, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office prosecutors told ABC News that the wife’s recollections ‘thirteen years after the defendant’s trial, speculating about what might or might not have occurred to (Victim 10) as a child, or concerning any Sandusky child victim, are irrelevant and inadmissible.’

Victim 10, who received a $5.5 million settlement from a civil lawsuit against Penn State, has not provided clarification on whether he is retracting all accusations or merely certain aspects. The fate of the settlement money remains undisclosed. Attorney Andrew Shubin, named by Victim 10 in his affidavit as his legal representative in the civil case against Penn State, declined comments and did not confirm if he continues to represent Victim 10.

Jerry Sandusky has consistently asserted his innocence since the accusations emerged. He served as an assistant on Joe Paterno’s football team from 1969 to 1999. Sandusky founded The Second Mile nonprofit in 1977, which operated until his arrest in 2011. The organization’s stated purpose was to assist disadvantaged youth, through which Sandusky became acquainted with multiple victims.