Head of charity Sandusky founded resigns

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The head of a charity founded by former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, accused of sexual abuse, has resigned, the charity announced Monday.

The non-profit The Second Mile said in a statement Jack Raykovitz, who was president and chief executive officer, had testified before a grand jury he knew of allegations against Sandusky dating to 2002, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

"Although the allegations against Jerry Sandusky and the alleged incidents occurred outside Second Mile programs and events, this does not change the fact that the alleged sexual abuse involved Second Mile program children, nor does it lessen the terrible impact of sexual abuse on its victims," the statement said.

The grand jury's presentment stated in 2002, Penn State told Raykovitz about an incident in which a graduate assistant had seen Sandusky sodomizing a boy in a locker room on campus, USA Today reported.

Last week, The Second Mile said in a statement university officials had told Raykovitz only they received a report an employee was "uncomfortable" seeing Sandusky in the shower with a young boy. "At no time was the Second Mile made aware of the very serious allegations contained in the grand jury report," the statement said.

Sandusky has been charged with 40 counts of abusing at least eight boys in a 15-year span, all of whom he met through The Second Mile.

Raykovitz had testified before a grand jury that Penn State athletic director Tim Curley had told him an internal investigation did not corroborate an allegation of inappropriate conduct by Sandusky with a child in the shower of a Penn State athletics building, the statement said.

The Second Mile did not take steps to keep Sandusky away from children until November 2008 when, the statement said, "Mr. Sandusky informed The Second Mile that he had learned he was being investigated as a result of allegations made against him by an adolescent male in Clinton County, Pa. Although he maintained there was no truth to the claims, we are an organization committed first and foremost to the safety and well-being of the children we serve."

The Post-Gazette also reported Sandusky was freed on $100,000 unsecured bond, meaning he had to pay no money to be released, by District Judge Leslie Dutchcot, who has done volunteer work for The Second Mile. The state attorney general's office had sought $500,000 bond and electronic monitoring.