Jerry Sandusky seeks federal relief following accuser recantation

Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky is seeking to withdraw from a scheduled September 8 evidentiary hearing in Centre County, Pennsylvania, opting instead to seek relief in federal court. The hearing was centered on a recantation by Ryan Rittmeyer, identified as Victim 10 during Sandusky’s 2012 trial.

Rittmeyer signed an affidavit in June 2025 claiming he had no “clear or certain” memory of sexual abuse during initial police interviews. He alleged that investigators and prosecutors used psychological pressure and “memory work” to encourage him to reframe his allegations, which ultimately shaped his testimony during the original trial.

While the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General has described the recantation as “highly suspect,” Sandusky’s legal team has filed an amended Post-Conviction Relief Act petition. The petition alleges prosecutorial misconduct and claims that financial incentives and institutional pressure influenced the original allegations. Sandusky, who is 82, was convicted in 2012 on 45 counts of sexual abuse and is currently serving a sentence of 30 to 60 years.