Pennsylvania Sexual Abuse Attorneys
Pennsylvania Child Sex Assault Lawyers
The sexual abuse victim lawyers at Estey Bomberger have firsthand knowledge of the mental and emotional injuries that sexual predators inflict on young victims, and take sexual abuse incidents very seriously.  Estey Bomberger child sexual abuse attorneys have recovered millions for innocent young victims of sexual abuse, molestation, and assault, and are relentless in our pursuit of justice for our clients. The work we have done in the civil justice system has set a standard for schools, churches, foster agencies and youth organizations to better monitor their employees and promptly investigate any reports of abuse. Our recoveries include a $30 million verdict for a sexual abuse victim in California, the largest single plaintiff sexual abuse verdict in the state, and several other seven figure settlements and verdicts.
Background of the Penn State Abuse Allegations Involving Jerry Sandusky
On November 4, 2011, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was charged with sexually abusing eight boys between 1994 and 2009 in Pennsylvania.  Following a three year investigation, Sandusky was indicted on 40 counts of sex crimes, including 21 felony offenses and 19 misdemeanors. Sandusky, who retired in 1999 after learning he would not be head coach Joe Paterno’s successor, reportedly came into contact with the boys through a nonprofit charity foundation serving the at-risk youth of Pennsylvania called The Second Mile. Sandusky used gifts, such as trips to Penn State football games, to maintain contact with the children.
USA Today reported that in 2002, a former Penn State graduate assistant alleged seeing Sandusky subjecting a boy who appeared to be about 10 years old to anal intercourse in the showers of the Penn State locker room. That grad student said he reported what he saw to Joe Paterno, the head football coach, who told authorities that he notified Penn State athletics director Tim Curley. Curley and the grad student met with Gary Schultz, the university’s senior vice president for finance and business the following week, but ultimately, no further action was taken.
Last weekend, both Tim Curley and Gary Schultz stepped down from their positions after reports that they failed to contact authorities about the abuse allegations. Both men face perjury charges. According to police, Joe Paterno is not under investigation, as he promptly reported the incident to the chain of command. However, it is unclear whether Paterno should have followed up on the complaint or taken further action.
After Sandusky was prohibited from holding youth sports camps on campus after the 2002 incident, he held football camps at a satellite campus just outside Erie. The youth camps were aimed at students from fourth grade through high school and offered coaching and personal attention from Sandusky.
Holding Responsible Parties Accountable
When events like this happen, perpetrators may not be the only ones responsible. Especially when abuse goes on for a period of years (reportedly, 15 years, in this Penn State incident), more and more people become aware of situation. In this case, it is clear that Penn State employees were told about at least one shocking incident involving Sandusky and that no action was taken. As a result, Penn State, and other parties, may be liable for the suspected actions of Jerry Sandusky. Even though The Second Mile has stated that the alleged incidents occurred outside of their sanctioned events, they may also be liable, if in fact it is proven they turned a blind eye to the abuse.
Experienced Sexual Abuse Advocates
Sexual abuse has longstanding emotional consequences that can devastate victims and their relationships with family members and loved ones. The attorneys at Estey Bomberger fight to protect the rights of child abuse victims and hold perpetrators and their supervisors accountable, and strive to improve oversight so that events like these do not occur in the future. Last year, we obtained a $30 million verdict on behalf a boy who was sexually abused at the hands of his foster father. Founding partner Mike Bomberger is licensed in Pennsylvania and the firm handles child molestation cases throughout the country. To learn more about your rights if you a loved one was a victim of the Jerry Sandusky Penn State sexual abuse scandal, contact Estey Bomberger for a free consultation. All inquiries are 100% confidential, with no obligation. Under our contingency fee agreement, we are only paid for our services in the event of a monetary recovery.  Call us today at (800)890-7622 to begin protecting your legal rights.