Interchange Blog
Higher bond for former Penn State officials in sex abuse scandal
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania – A judge on Friday ordered two former Penn State University officials embroiled in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal to post $50,000 in added bond money each after they were charged with additional crimes.
Tim Curley, 58, the former Athletic Director, and Gary Schultz, 63, a former athletic department finance official, were charged on Thursday with additional crimes for what Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly called “a conspiracy of silence” in the Sandusky matter.
The additional bail money was ordered as they appeared together on Friday before Harrisburg magisterial district justice William Wenner.
Sandusky, 68, a former assistant coach in Penn State’s powerhouse football program, was convicted in June of molesting 10 boys over a 15-year period. The scandal rocked college sports and focused national attention on child sex abuse.
Sandusky is now jailed for up to 60 years in a maximum security prison in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Curley and Schultz, along with former Penn State President Graham Spanier, 64, all face child endangerment, perjury, criminal conspiracy, failure to report suspected child abuse and obstruction charges. All three have said they are innocent. Spanier will appear before Judge Wenner on Wednesday.
Wenner set bail for Curley and Schultz at $75,000 when they were initially charged last year. The additional bail brings the total to $125,000 each.
Curley’s attorney would not talk about details of the case.
“I maintain that Mr. Curley is innocent and we will aggressively pursue this case for the next year like we have for the last year,” Attorney Caroline Roberto said.
Tom Farrell, Schultz’s counselor, also declined to talk about the charges.
Schultz “educated hundreds of thousands of young people … helped build a major university, helped support research that’s benefited all mankind.
“If you’re going to charge these kinds of people who’ve done such good, you’ve got to take a step back,” Farrell said.
“I’m saying people of this character would not do, and have not done what they’re charged with,” he said.
(Editing by Greg McCune and Todd Eastham)