Jerry Sandusky’s 26 Sex Abuse Victims Get $60M Settlement from Penn State

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With an agreed payout of almost $60 million, the 26 sex abuse victims of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky are bound to get an average of $2.3 million each.

The university will settle the payments. Of the 26 victims, 23 have fully signed the agreement, while three agreed in principle. There are six more claims, but the university said some may lack merit, but others could result in more settlements. Most of them are children from disadvantaged families.

His first victim, Aaron Fisher, broke his silence and was interviewed by ABC.

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In announcing the payoff, University President Rodney Erickson said, "We cannot undo what has been done, but we can and must do everything possible to learn from this and ensure it never happens again at Penn State."

Sandusky was convicted in June 2012 of 45 out of 48 criminal charges. The scandal also ended the sports career of coach Joe Paterno, responsible for transforming the once unknown school into a football powerhouse and being acknowledged through a Hall of Fame award.

Besides the almost $60 million settlement, Penn State also spent over $50 million on other costs related to the sexual scandal. It includes lawyers' fees, expenses for public relations services and adoption of new policies and procedures related to children and sexual abuse complaints.

The 69-year-old ex-assistant coach is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for the abuse of 10 boys, with some of them happening inside Penn State facilities. Eight testified against Sandusky of the various types of abuse they went through such as fondling, oral sex and anal rape.

During the trial, Sandusky did not testify but insisted on his innocence of the charges, although he admitted showering with the boys, but stressed he didn't molest them.

The scandal didn't end with the former assistant coach's conviction since three former university administrators are also waiting for trial in Harrisburg on charges of criminal cover-up. They are former President Graham Spanier, retired Vice President Gary Schultz and retired Athletic Director Tim Curley. They deny the charges, but their trial date has not been set yet.