Full Breakdown
Jerry Sandusky’s Upcoming Evidentiary Hearing Centers on a Key Victim’s Recantation
8/28/2026, 4:15:55 AM
Core Event: Recantation Expected at September 8 Hearing
A Pennsylvania judge has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for September 8 in Bellefonte. The hearing will focus on an affidavit filed by Ryan Rittmeyer—identified at the 2012 trial as “Victim 10”—in which he recants his earlier testimony that former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused him when he was ten years old. Sandusky’s defense team has moved to have the recantation considered as part of a petition for a new trial.
Background & Context
In June 2012, a jury convicted Sandusky on 45 counts of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys after a two-year grand-jury investigation. He received a 30-to-60-year state-prison sentence and was resentenced in 2019. The case triggered the dismissal of longtime Penn State head coach Joe Paterno and criminal convictions for several university officials. Sandusky has consistently maintained his innocence and, since 2025, has pursued appeals citing alleged prosecutorial misconduct and coerced testimony.
Timeline
- June 30 2025 (occurred): Rittmeyer filed an affidavit stating he had “no clear or certain memory” of abuse and that investigators had repeatedly encouraged him to believe Sandusky had molested him.
- August 24 (scheduled): Court documents filed indicate that former chief deputy attorney general Frank Fina will testify at the September hearing.
- August 27 2026 (scheduled): A report announced that Sandusky will return to court next month for the evidentiary hearing.
- September 8 (scheduled): The hearing will address Rittmeyer’s recantation and related testimony.
Data & Statistics
- 45 criminal counts convicted in 2012.
- 30-to-60 years imprisonment.
- 10 victims testified at trial.
- $5.5 million civil settlement reached between Rittmeyer and Penn State after the trial.
Official Statements & Responses
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office is expected to address Rittmeyer’s affidavit at the September hearing. In a response to the defense motion, prosecutors argued that the testimony of Rittmeyer’s estranged wife—who concluded he was not abused—was “irrelevant and inadmissible” because it was offered more than a decade after the original trial. Sandusky’s lawyers have requested that former prosecutor Frank Fina be allowed to testify about his interactions with Rittmeyer during the original investigation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the victim’s identifier: some refer to him as “Victim 10,” others as “R.R.,” and one outlet identifies him as Ryan Rittmeyer. Details of the recantation also vary; while court filings confirm the existence of the June 2025 affidavit, the precise language of Rittmeyer’s new testimony has not been released. No source provides the content of the anticipated testimony from Frank Parlato, the Sandusky family investigator, beyond noting his planned appearance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They emphasized that other alleged victims were reluctant to come forward and repeatedly encouraged me to believe that Mr. Sandusky had molested me,” — Jasmine Rittmeyer
What’s Next
The September 8 hearing will determine whether Rittmeyer’s recantation and the accompanying testimony have any legal effect on Sandusky’s 2012 convictions. The outcome may influence pending appeals and any future motions for a new trial.
