Bellefonte, PA

A jury has found Jerry Sandusky guilty on 45 of 48 counts in his child sex abuse trial.

Sandusky was accused of sexually abusing young boys over a 15 year period.

The jury, made up of seven women and five men, reached their decision Friday evening. They began deliberations Thursday.

Prosecutors say the former Penn State football coach is a serial predator.

Defense attorneys say Sandusky's accusers conspired against him for financial reasons.
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The jury in the sex abuse trial of former Penn State football coach Jerry
Sandusky has reached a verdict, court officials announced.

Sandusky and his lawyers along with prosecutors have been summoned to court
to hear the verdict.

The jury of seven women and five men were sequestered during deliberations.

Sandusky is charged with 48 counts of sex abuse against 10 boys he allegedly
groomed through a charity he operated. If convicted, he could be sentenced
to life in prison.

The two-week trial was remarkable for the graphic tales of abuse that ranged
from Sandusky playing tickle monster in the shower to aggressive sex
including oral and anal sex on boys as young as 8. At one point, jurors were
brought to tears by the testimony of the alleged victims who are now grown
men.

The defense scored some points back during week two of the trial by putting
Sandusky's wife on the stand and hearing her testify that she never saw
anything inappropriate between her husband and children and knew some of the
accusers to have behavioral issues. They also poked holes in the stories of
two lead investigators on the case by showing that the men told potential
victims that others had already come forward claiming Sandusky raped them.

During 30 hours of testimony over two weeks, the jury heard from eight
accusers, one eyewitness, a string of character witnesses testifying to
Sandusky's character, and members of the police who investigated the case.

Two people the jury did not hear from include Sandusky himself, who waived
his right to testify, and Sandusky's adopted son Matt. Matt Sandusky was one
of his father's most ardent supporters following Sandusky's November arrest
, but contacted prosecutors at the end of last week saying he was, in fact,
a victim of his father's abuse and would be willing to testify, sources told
ABC News. The prosecution did not put him on the stand, and the revelations
about Matt Sandusky's willingness to testify are not known by the jury and
will not factor into deliberations.

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