Jerry Sandusky, convicted child molester, has Penn State pension restored
A court ruled on Friday that former Pennsylvania State University Assistant Football Coach Jerry Sandusky is to receive his pension from the state of Pennsylvania.
Sandusky stopped receiving payments of $4,900 per-month in 2012 when he was convicted of sexually abusing 10 children. The former coach is currently serving 30 to 60 years in prison for his offenses.
The Commonwealth Court panel ruled that the State Employees' Retirement System wrongly stopped payments to Sandusky after his conviction. Sandusky retired in 1999, and was considered a "de facto" university employee when reports of abuse occurred in 2008, Philly.com reports.
Judge Dan Pellegrini wrote that "nothing in the record in any way establishes that Mr Sandusky was a PSU employee when the underlying criminal acts were committed."
"The board conflated the requirements that Mr. Sandusky engage in `work relating to' PSU and that he engage in that work `for' PSU. Mr Sandusky's performance of services that benefited PSU does not render him a PSU employee."
Attorney Al Lindsay, who represents the felon, told CBS News that his council is happy to receive “anything they can get.”
Sandusky is serving his sentence at the Greene State Prison near Wayensburg where he plans to appeal his conviction, the Associated Press reports.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.