Sandusky scrubbed: Mural artist replaces image

Passersby look at a mural Monday, June 25, 2012, in State College, Pa. Artist Michael Pilato on Monday painted a blue ribbon - a symbol for awareness of child sexual abuse - on the portion of his "Inspiration State College" mural downtown that once included Sandusky. / AP Photo/Genaro C. Armas

(AP) STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The depiction of Jerry Sandusky on a well-known mural across the street from the Penn State campus has been replaced by an image of a poet and activist draped with a blue ribbon — a symbol for awareness of child sexual abuse.

It was artist Michael Pilato's latest step in erasing the image of the disgraced former assistant football coach following Sandusky's conviction last week on 45 counts at his child sex abuse trial.

Sandusky was removed from the mural days after his arrest in November. But Pilato returned to the work on Sunday, painting in Dora McQuaid, a Penn State graduate who is a poet and an advocate for domestic and sexual violence victims and issues. The blue ribbon was added on Monday.

Also replacing Sandusky were two red handprints — one belonging to Ann Van Kuren, one of the 12 jurors who convicted Sandusky, and the other belonging to a sexual abuse victim.

Meanwhile, as Sandusky insisted through a lawyer Monday that he was not guilty, Van Kuren said she hoped the verdict would help his accusers heal.

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Van Kuren said the jury found the testimony of the eight victims who took the witness stand compelling, and they weighed the accounts and evidence diligently before finding Sandusky guilty last week of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years. She expressed empathy for the young men who offered emotional and explicit testimony.

"I really feel for the victims and any other victims that are out there that haven't come forward and told their" stories, Van Kuren told The Associated Press. "I'm hoping that this trial, with this verdict, will help them heal."

The sweeping sex abuse case rocked the Penn State community and the resulting scandal led to the ousters of Sandusky's former boss — Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno — and the university's president. It also forced a re-examination of the role that college administrators played in reporting abuse allegations.

Sandusky, 68, is under observation at the Centre County jail, where he is being kept away from other inmates pending a psychological review that will help determine the next step toward his sentencing in about three months.

"He's defiant and wants the truth to be told. He wants people to know that he's not guilty," said lawyer Karl Rominger, who visited his incarcerated client Monday.

Also Monday, Judge John Cleland ordered county probation officers to evaluate whether Sandusky is a sexual predator, a finding that could factor into his prison placement. Such orders are pro forma in sex abuse cases. Sex offenders are required to undergo treatment while in prison, so Sandusky, if deemed a predator, would likely be sent to a facility with such a program.

Rominger told the AP that Sandusky said that he's not suicidal and that he wants to get the separate psychological examination done so that he can receive visits from his friends and family.

The state investigation into Sandusky didn't begin until after the ex-coach was barred from a high school in 2009 when a mother complained about him. At the time, Gov. Tom Corbett was the state attorney general. Charges were filed in November 2011.

Investigators took into account Sandusky's status as a celebrated assistant coach in building the case, Corbett said Monday when asked in Harrisburg why charges weren't filed after the first accuser came forward.

"If it's one-on-one and now put the celebrity status in, put (that) Jerry Sandusky is loved by everybody... how can anybody say there must be something wrong?" Corbett said. "You'd better corroborate it, and that's what they started doing. They started pulling strings and gathering and gathering and gathering, and that's my experience. You build those cases, as well as you can."

Sandusky has repeatedly maintained his innocence. He will likely die in prison given mandatory minimum sentencing requirements.

The conviction is only just the start of possibly years of legal proceedings over the case. Besides appeals, there remains an active investigation into Sandusky by the state attorney general's office as well as a federal investigation.

Corbett said Penn State trustees are still awaiting the results of an internal investigation by former FBI director Louis Freeh into the school's handling of the Sandusky case.

The university could also face a wave of new lawsuits. An hour after the verdict Friday night, Penn State said in a statement it was inviting victims to "participate in a program to facilitate the resolution of claims against the university arising out of Mr. Sandusky's conduct." The school said it sought to address victims' concerns privately, expeditiously and fairly.

Asked to clarify Monday, school spokesman Dave LaTorre said the university won't discuss details about litigation or how much money might be set aside for potential settlements, and he declined to comment further.

[electedface]

As Attorney General, Tom Corbett received over $647,000 in campaign contributions from members of the Second Mile Foundation, while only assigning one investigator to the case.

Meanwhile, at the same time, he assigned 14 investigators to Bill Deweese, who spent more than 5 years trying to get him.

It is difficult to believe these campaign contributions did not improperly influence his decision to not file charges against Jerry Sandusky.

The state police trooper who initially handled the Clinton County case against Jerry Sandusky believed there was enough evidence from a teenage boy -- now known as Victim One-- to charge Sandusky with indecent assault.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji7UQhr3z3M

[carolhill814]

All of the erasing of his picture won't stop the pain that these boys went through over and over again and the fact that nobody listened and nobody cared that is what it makes even worse.

I know what those boys went through because that is exactly what I went through the same exact thing I was alone and nobody seemed to care.

[MichaelinAtlanta]

We all know Sandusky is guilty, we all know that there was a cover-up. The looming question is WHY was there a cover-up? It certainly was not because he was an esteemed defensive coordinator, he retired more than a decade ago. I smell a rat! He was running a child prostitution ring centered around Second Mile. Tom Corbett knew or was involved. Look up "Franklin Scandal Cover-up" and you will see a parallel.

Just as 9-11, people are quick to jump the gun and get the noose out for the first available guy. Is Sandusky guilty? Of course!!! Is he alone? No....he has many accomplices. Tom Corbett is near the top.

[nancy_naive]

They can scrub out Paterno's halo too.

Geez, ya drive a 1000 nails and no one calls you a carpenter, but just ...

[lloydbest1]

"...Meanwhile, as Sandusky insisted through a lawyer Monday that he was not guilty,..."

That pretty much sums up the character of the man we're dealing with.

""He's defiant and wants the truth to be told. He wants people to know that he's not guilty," said lawyer Karl Rominger, who visited his incarcerated client Monday"

Good luck with that, my man!

I'm going to throw out a number and say that a good 50% percent of those who followed this case from it's inception back when it blew up in November were convinced of Sandusky's guilt by December. This was months before a jury was selected let alone the start of the trial. As this whole sordid mess unraveled - I should say "unfolded" - that percentage only got higher. I feel that Jerry was fortunate to find 12 people anywhere who really didn't know.

Now that a guilty verdict has been rendered and any lingering doubts have been obiterated, Jerry wants us to believe he's innocent?!?

I don't <adjective> think so! Right now he knows that any claims of innocence are simple B.S, but if you tell yourself a lie often enough and earnestly enough, you will likely come to believe its truth. I think if he keeps on along those lines he will convince himself he really IS innocent.

But I didn't post simply to vent my spleen over Jerry's continuing obstinate refusal to accept what has been obvious to the rest of us for months. I also want to address the sentiment I see on this thread that ALL of Penn State is corrupt. It isn't.

If you count all the satellite campuses, the medical school and the associated international institutions, there are nearly 100000 students and an additional 35000 faculty and staff. I find it difficult to believe they are all tainted. Incoming freshmen of the class of '15 are as guilty of inaction as Curley and Spanier? No way. An third year assistant prof in humanities on the same level as Gary Schultz? C'mon.

I understand the anger and if you have read my posts on the subject of Scumbagsky, you will know I feel it, too. But I can't bring myself to tar an entire university because of the actions and inactions of a few deviants. As a disclaimer, I have never attended Penn State nor have I ever been anywhere near it. I don't think I could even find State College on a map.

Would you tar an entire nation because of the actions of one corrupt ex-president or those of the sitting one? no, of course not. We shouldn't do the same to a university however sloppily it handled this farrago. The university deserves to be hurt, yes and must be held accountable because of its tacit approval of the cr@p going on, but does not deserve to be destroyed.

[1pheasant1]

Who is that seated to the right of Joe Paterno? Monsignor Lynn?

[1pheasant1]

No, Georgie. They are both people that endangered children. God certainly doesn't celebrate the actions of either man. The halo over Joe Paterno's head was not put there by God.

[bigmanfrommaine]

I still see Joe Paterno's mug on the mural. He knew this was happening and did nothing. Put an X on his face and on any others who knew about this and didn't act.

[BluePress]

They are going to have to auction off that wall of shame after the lawsuits get done with them.

[samXXkiley]

coucoum
the painting will serve as a "mark" against the culture of silence,
to ensure that justice be done, we must denounce such practices,
"au revoir"

[wheear]

I don't get it CBS. Two story lines on Condoleeza Rice and no opportunity to comment. A story on artwork involving a convicted child molestor and the comment lines are open. ?????

[Valhalla0907]

I noticed that too. Arming the Syrian Rebels is not a good idea. Maybe that's why.

[betterusa]

To all you uninformed that want Joe Paterno removed. DID YOU READ THE JURIES CONVICTIONS? The 3 counts that were not guilty were from the account McQueary gave regarding the shower that he even stated he told JoePa a "watered down version" in which Paterno did what he was required to do; report to his superiors. Apparently you people actually had a greater impact on more young people than Joe.

[1pheasant1]

Joe Paterno is no different than Monsignor Lynn, who was convicted of child endangerment. Joe knew full well that Sandusky was a pedophile, and subsequently fired him from the staff, but allowed him to continue preying on children directly under his nose.

[Truth_Bee_Told]

"Joe Pa" was the most powerful force at State College. He controlled everything that happend there. Even a "watered-down" version of what McQuaeary saw should have been enough for Paterno to make sure the administration was working with law enforcement and providing full disclosure, and then following up on their findings. But McQueary's account just "went away" until the mother of a High School student got involved back in 2009. In the years since McQueary reported what he saw, Sandusky continued to regularly appear on campus, use its facilities, and attend games. Are you honestly saying Paterno wouldn't have stopped and said..."What ever happened with McQueary's allegations?" He may have been old, but he was no fool. He was a very bright man that chose to allow the McQueary report to simply fade away. That was his fault. He failed himself, those kids, the university and society by choosing to turn a blind eye. And you are every bit as foolish for not recognizing that truth.