Jerry Sandusky could keep his Penn State pension

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse after the fourth day of his child sex abuse trial on June 14, 2012, in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. / Getty Images

(CBS/AP) HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania's public employee pension system says it won't be able to say if Jerry Sandusky will lose his retirement benefits until after he's sentenced, a proceeding expected in about three months.

Sandusky's $59,000 per year state pension is still being paid out, even after being convicted on 45 criminal counts for sexually abusing 10 boys, reports CBS affiliate KYW in Philadelphia. As he sits in the Centre County prison now, Sandusky is currently collecting monthly pension checks totaling $4,908.17.

A spokeswoman for the State Employees' Retirement System said Wednesday the agency doesn't speculate about potential future actions under the Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act, but did say the pension board would fully review Sandusky's case once he is sentenced.

Offenses that trigger forfeiture are generally along the lines of theft, obstruction and perjury. A pension system document says forfeiture can also occur when a school employee commits certain sex offenses against a student.

The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reported in November that Sandusky also collected a $148,000 lump sum payment when he retired from the university in 1999.

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[siberian99]

give his pension to the accusers... he's had enough

[Oh-Pin-Yun]

Joe Paterno lost his pension over this mess. Joe's widow should be able to rely on her husbands pension.
A witness to one of Sandusky's attacks told Paterno that he saw something inappropriate. He did not go into the gross details. He was only reporting about seeing something inappropriate. Joe then informed University and figured they would handle it. Joe was in his own football zone for decades and did not pay much attention to the politics of all the other jobs & personnel at the college. Joe felt he has done what was right by redirecting the report to his superiors. Then Joe went on about his football business as usual. Joe saw nothing. The university was wanting to shed responsibility for the whole mess and they pointed back to Joe because Joe told them. The person who saw the attack should have reported it to police. Joe lost everything, then lost his life. Now his widow has nothing.

[Kairenne]

Joe Paterno didnt lose his pension. He was still employed by the university at his death. When that is the case his retirement account is treated as a cash lump sum and would have been paid out to his widow. A SIGNIFICANT amount of money. His widow has plenty.

[Bush-cheney-R-Terrorists]

After the victims sue this ***, he won't have very much of that left.

[Davisrad]

He earned his pension through a lifetime of employment. His criminal activities shouldn't impact that, even if we are upset that he will continue to receive it.

[southernbygrace]

On the other hand, why should the taxpayers pay the cost of his incarceration if he has a pension that would offset some of the cost. You can bet the state will take it.

[lloydbest1]

A lot of outrage here. Have no worries about Jerry keeping much of his pension; fines and court costs will eat up a good part of his lolly. There is even a chance the state will withold his monthly payout entirely.

Mr. Sandusky will also have to face the prospect that a lineup of known and potential victims will sue his a$$ through every court in the land. I will even go so far as to say that JoePa's family as well as Schultz 'n' Curley and their families will also be looking down the gun barrel of lawsuits out the wazoo. After the dust settles in ten or so years and we all have a chance to catch our breaths, I would be surprised if Joy-boy Jerry ends up with sufficient funding to afford a haircut.

Pension? it's as good as history.....

[twmat311]

Wasn't Sandusky proved to be committing these crimes during his work career?

[CHICO_KK]

He still earned the pension, regardless.

[canislupus16]

CHICO, Mr. Public Pension Employee - thanks for your input

[formerlyluvnut]

Once, AGAIN; there is a reason why it's called the CRIMINAL "justice" system. Pathetic.

[Stopfmg]

I don't care if he gets the money or not. Just keep him in jail for the rest of his life.

[baby-boomer-54]

it's all sick, sick, sick......this country is sick. let's reward the criminals and let the victims just figure out how they are going to get through life after being used and abused....as children no less. this stuff going on IN HIS HOUSE? she knew about it....she should be prosecuted also. THEN divide his pension to his victims. sick.

[Rafterman11]

And this is the reason that states are in such bad shape financially (and why 'cons blame pensioners for the problem). Setting aside for the moment the fact the Sandusky is a scumbag who should be stripped of his pension, a pension should be just enough to make sure retirees aren't starving in the streets. But $5000 a month? No one should get that kind of pension money. These are the people causing states to go bankrupt, not the $1000 a month middle class retirees. I can only imagine how much Joe Pa's pension would have been.

[twmat311]

This is only the beginning here in PA; we have a state rep on trial for ethics who just lost his 138K/month pension, and a just-retired school admin (also on trial for ethics) who left with several hundred thousand in retirement cash (untaken PTO days, etc). Apparently ethics puts your retirement at risk here, but Sandusky just might slip through the PA regulation maze and keep his.

[loudmouth111]

I agree Sandusky should not benefit from his pension, however I think that teachers SHOULD be rewarded for a lifetime of service.