Settlement reached in Penn State-Jerry Sandusky abuse case

A young man who testified that he was fondled by former Pennsylvania State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky in 2001 has reached a settlement with the university for an unspecified amount, which one report described as several million dollars.

The settlement, with a man who has been known to the public as "Victim 5," is the first to result from dozens of claims against the school amid the Sandusky sex abuse scandal.

Penn State announced a year ago, when Sandusky was convicted of 45 criminal counts, that it hoped to compensate his victims fairly and quickly. The school's trustees have authorized about $60 million to be used for settlements.

Sandusky, 69, is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for child molestation and related offenses.

He spent three decades at Penn State working with former head coach Joe Paterno, and met some of his victims through his nonprofit organization, The Second Mile, which aimed to help underprivileged youth. Sandusky continued to operate the charity after he retired from Penn State in 1999.

While Penn State had fostered an image of a model football program under Paterno -- whose statue outside the school's football stadium was taken down after the scandal broke -- a report commissioned by Penn State last year shattered that notion for many. Several university leaders, including Paterno, were heavily criticized for not doing enough when presented with allegations that Sandusky had sexually abused young boys.

University police had investigated a 1998 complaint about Sandusky showering with a boy -- one of those who later testified against him -- but no charges were filed. A graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, had said he witnessed a different incident in the team shower in 2001 and notified Paterno and other high-ranking school officials, but police were not called.

Paterno died in January 2012. Criminal charges over an alleged coverup are pending against three other Penn State officials: former President Graham Spanier, retired Vice President Gary Schultz and retired athletic director Tim Curley. All three deny allegations of a coverup. Penn State has already spent nearly $50 million in the aftermath of the scandal, not including any payments to victims and accusers.

Victim 5 was among eight young men who testified at Sandusky's trial about abuse that included fondling and rape, with some of the alleged incidents taking place on campus.

The victim's attorney, Tom Kline, confirmed the settlement to The Associated Press on Saturday, but would not specify the dollar amount. He said the parties signed off on the agreement Friday.

Kline said his 25-year-old client was relieved and expected to receive the money within a month. The man identified himself for his testimony, but the AP generally does not identify victims of sex crimes.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the deal, which it called a "multimillion-dollar settlement," is the first of 26 settlements expected soon among 31 young men who have lodged formal complaints over Sandusky's actions and the school's response.

Kline told the AP that, as part of the agreement, his client assigned his claim to Penn State, effectively giving the university a better chance to recover the money from other parties, such as The Second Mile.

Michael Rozen, one of the lawyers brought in by Penn State to resolve the civil claims, told the paper that Victim 5's case was considered among the more serious because the abuse occurred in August 2001, months after a graduate student had told top school officials that he saw Sandusky assaulting a boy in a team shower.

"The pivotal issue from the university's perspective in dealing with the victims is where the incident occurred and when it occurred proximate to the 2001 shower incident," Rozen told the Inquirer.

A spokesman for the university declined to comment on the deal, saying Penn State "continues to make progress on multiple settlements."

During Sandusky's trial, Victim 5 testified that he met the coach at a Second Mile camp in 1999 and went to Penn State games with him. He said Sandusky groped him in the showers during a workout.

Kline said the agreement does not prevent Victim 5, who lives outside Philadelphia, from talking or writing about his experience, although he has no plans to do so.

"We hope that there is closure, but I can tell you on his behalf that he understands there [are] continuing proceedings, because this case has had, and continues to have, many long tentacles," Kline said.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press