A judge has granted a hearing to explore claims that a man wants to recant allegations of sexual abuse years ago by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, according to the Associated Press. Sandusky, 82, is scheduled to attend the hearing before specially assigned Senior Judge Maureen Skerda at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Judge Grants Evidentiary Hearing in Sandusky Case
Sandusky has been serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence since he was convicted in 2012 of multiple counts of sexual abuse involving young boys. Although he has repeatedly lost efforts to secure a new trial, his new legal team is trying again, arguing that Sandusky received ineffective counsel and that prosecutors coached witnesses into making false allegations.
Accuser Disowns Trial Testimony in Signed Affidavit
The latest appeal centers on Ryan Rittmeyer, who was identified in court documents as R.R. or Victim 10 during the 2012 trial, as reported by the The New York Times. In a signed affidavit dated June 30, 2025, Rittmeyer completely recanted his trial testimony. At the 2012 trial, Rittmeyer testified that he was 11 years old when Sandusky abused him in the coach’s basement in 1998, and that Sandusky threatened him.
In his affidavit, Rittmeyer said his testimony evolved due to suggestive leading questions, investigative pressure, and psychological manipulation. I was told — both directly and indirectly — that trauma may have fragmented my memory, and that I could safely affirm details I did not fully recall. I was assured this was common and even expected,
Rittmeyer said in the document filed by Sandusky’s attorneys. Rittmeyer also stated that he was misled repeatedly by prosecutor Joe McGettigan during extensive pretrial preparations, including a meeting that lasted approximately six hours. McGettigan passed away in December 2025.
Sandusky’s attorneys argued in court filings that the allegations were based on suggestive leading questioning, prosecutorial coercion, confirmatory bias, and memory manipulation. Additionally, court records indicate that Rittmeyer’s estranged wife is prepared to testify that he initially denied being abused by Sandusky. Rittmeyer previously received a $5.5 million civil settlement from a suit against Penn State.
Legal Hurdles and Prison Interview
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General stated that R.R.’s recantation is highly suspect.
Prosecutors also noted that the opinion of Rittmeyer’s estranged wife, provided 13 years after the trial, is irrelevant and inadmissible. Legal experts have pointed out that even if the charges involving Rittmeyer are dismissed, Sandusky is unlikely to be released from prison because he was convicted on numerous counts involving multiple victims, and none of the other victims have altered their stories. Jules Epstein, a professor at Temple University law school, explained that a judge would need to determine how R.R.’s testimony fit into the broader case, which featured many charges and victims.
Speaking by phone from state prison in Somerset County to 6abc Philadelphia, Sandusky maintained his innocence. I apologize that I’m unable to admit remorse for this because it’s something that I didn’t do,
Sandusky said. He added that money served as a major motive for the allegations and that accusers were incentivized and led.
The original sexual abuse scandal rocked Penn State and the college football world, leading to the firing of Hall of Fame head coach Joe Paterno—under whom Sandusky coached the defense from 1969 to 1999—and the resignation of university President Graham Spanier. Penn State ultimately paid more than $100 million to individuals who reported being abused by Sandusky, who found and groomed victims through his charity for at-risk youth, The Second Mile.
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