Jerry Sandusky sentenced to at least 30 years in child sex abuse case October 9, 2012, 7:37 a.m. Convicted child molester and former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced today to at least 30 years in a child sex abuse case that rocked the Pennsylvania university and led to the firing of late football coach Joe Paterno. Earlier Sandusky, convicted in June of abusing 10 boys over 15 years, declared his innocence in a recorded statement released on the eve of his sentencing hearing and vowed to continue fighting for his release from prison.