Mr. Anderson said his client hadn’t spoken of the alleged abuse until other stories were made public through the grand-jury report.
“This kid suffered in secrecy and in silence and shame thinking he was the only one and never told a soul until the revelations came out about other kids and a coverup,” Mr. Anderson said. “That’s what caused him to come forward and break the silence.”
In a statement released by Mr. Anderson, the plaintiff said he had never told anyone about being abused by Mr. Sandusky “until the newspapers reported that he had abused other kids.” He said, “I am hurting and have been for a long time because of what happened but feel now even more tormented that I have learned that so many other kids were abused after me.”
Mr. Anderson said his suit wouldn’t interfere with the prosecution of Mr. Sandusky, because the suit is more about illuminating what he called “institutional concealment” at Penn State and Second Mile than punishing Mr. Sandusky. Mr. Anderson said the new allegations have been reported to law enforcement and that he and client will do everything possible to cooperate with the authorities.
Julie Blackman, a litigation consultant with DOAR Litigation Consulting LLC in New York, said depositions from this case and others could complicate the criminal prosecution. “Any sworn statement that becomes a record can come into play and be complicating,” she said.
Nils Frederiksen, a spokesman for the attorney general, said, “Given the ongoing nature of our grand jury investigation, we cannot comment at this time.”
Ms. Blackman said that she expects more civil suits to follow.
Mr. Anderson is known nationally for using civil suits to win damages for victims of child sex abuse by clergy, a practice he started nearly 30 years ago.
© The Wall Street Journal: