In our continuing effort to present you with the most well-rounded yet easily digestible form of coverage on the Penn State sexual abuse scandal, we often return to subjects we believe have not received an adequate amount of attention. As absurd as it may seem, the timeline of Jerry Sandusky's abuse remains difficult to decipher. In the rush to find more information, new angles on stories and insightful commentary, some of the more barebones information can be lost. This piece gives you a timeline of Sandusky's life and the known major instances of abuse he committed. The idea is that this will help give you a sense of scale when reading about the case. Information on alleged abuse comes from the 23-page grand jury report.
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Several other outlets have attempted this project already, but we believe that it aids our own coverage by giving you a readily available resource to which you can refer if you feel unsure about when the alleged abuse occurred.
Jan. 26, 1944: Gerald Arthur Sandusky born in Washington, PA.
1963-1965: Sandusky plays defensive end for Penn State. Joe Paterno is an assistant coach during these years.
1966: Serves as a graduate assistant on Penn State's football staff in Paterno's first year as head coach.
1967: Serves as an assistant coach at Juniata College, a Division III school in Huntingdon, PA.
1968: Sandusky becomes an assistant coach at Boston University.
1969: Rejoins Penn State as the defensive line coach. The Nittany Lions post their second consecutive perfect season and defeat Missouri in the Orange Bowl.
1970: Becomes linebackers coach and begins to build PSU's reputation as "Linebacker U." In 1973 Penn State would record their third perfect season under Joe Paterno, but the Nittany Lions have yet to win a National Championship.
1977: Sandusky is promoted to defensive coordinator. This is also the year he founds The Second Mile, a charity for at-risk children in State College, Penn. The charity will eventually serve youths across the state.
Jan. 1983: The AP selects Penn State as the 1982 national champion.
Jan. 1987: The AP selects Penn State as the 1986 national champion, the Nittany Lions' second championship with Paterno as coach and Sandusky as defensive coordinator.
1994: Sandusky meets Victim 7 through The Second Mile. Sandusky allegedly touched Victim 7 in a manner that made the boy uncomfortable, and both Sandusky and Sandusky's wife attempted to contact Victim 7 in the weeks leading up to his grand jury appearance.
1994-95: Sandusky meets Victim 6 through The Second Mile.
Jan. 1, 1995: Penn State finishes their sixth perfect season under Joe Paterno by beating Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
1995-96: Sandusky meets Victim 5 through The Second Mile. Victim 5 had limited contact with Sandusky after he spurned the coach's advances.
1996-97: Sandusky singles out Victim 4, who is also a participant in The Second Mile. Victim 4 is subject to repeated episodes of abuse over a period of several years.
Jan. 1998: Victim 4 travels as a member of Sandusky's party to the Outback Bowl. He shares accommodations with Sandusky and frequently spends the night with Sandusky outside of the bowl game.
1998: Victim 6 showers with Sandusky. The victim's mother becomes suspicious and calls University Police, who open an investigation.
May 13, 1998: Detective Ralph Ralston and Detective Ronald Schreffler eavesdrop on a meeting between Sandusky and the victim's mother at her home.
May 19, 1998: Dets. Ralston and Schreffler eavesdrop on a second meeting. At some point during these meetings, Ralston and Schreffler hear Sandusky admit to touching Victim 6 inappropriately. Sandusky reportedly ends the second conversation by saying, "I wish I were dead."
June 1, 1998: Det. Schreffler and Jerry Lauro of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare interview Jerry Sandusky. A report is submitted to Centre County district attorney Ray Gricar, who decides against filing charges.
Jan. 1999: Victim 4 travels to the Alamo Bowl as a member of Sandusky's party. The victim begins to pull away from Sandusky's advances, but Sandusky threatens to send him home.
May 1999: Joe Paterno tells Sandusky that Sandusky will not be the next Penn State head football coach. Sandusky voices his displeasure to Victim 4, and he retires shortly afterwards.
2000: Sandusky meets Victim 3 through The Second Mile. Sandusky allegedly showered and had sleepovers with Victim 3.
Fall 2000: A janitor named James Calhoun witnesses Sandusky performing oral sex on Victim 8 in Penn State showers. Calhoun reports the incident to his superior, Ray Witherite, but police are never called.
2001: Sandusky's autobiography, Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story, is published.
March 1, 2001: Graduate assistant Mike McQueary witnesses Sandusky anally raping Victim 2 in Penn State showers.
March 2, 2001: McQueary reports the incident to head coach Joe Paterno.
March 3, 2001: Joe Paterno meets with Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz. Paterno relays to Curley and Schultz what McQueary told him.
Mid-March 2001: McQueary meets with Curley and Schultz.
March 2001: Sandusky is banned from bringing children to Penn State's campus. Per Curley's directive, Sandusky's locker room keys are taken. Former President Graham Spanier is aware of the ban.
2005-2006: Sandusky meets Victim 1 through The Second Mile. Victim 1's report will eventually lead to the investigation of Sandusky.
2007: Sandusky begins meeting with Victim 1 on a weekly basis.
Spring 2008: Victim 1 ends contact with Sandusky.
2008: Sandusky serves as a full-time volunteer assistant football coach at Clinton County High School. After a wrestling coach sees Sandusky in an inappropriate position with Victim 1, school officials call the victim's mother. The victim eventually tells officials that Sandusky had inappropriate contact with him, and the school alerts law enforcement authorities.
2009: The Pennsylvania attorney general opens an investigation into Sandusky's alleged sexual abuse.
Sept. 2010: Sandusky retires from daily work with The Second Mile.
Nov. 5, 2011: Sandusky is arrested and charged with 40 criminal counts related to sexual abuse of children. He is free on $100,000 bail.
Dec. 7, 2011: Sandusky's first scheduled hearing.
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