Jerry Sandusky: psychologist fingered suspect as ‘likely pedophile’ as early as 1998, report says

NBC News reports today that child sex suspect Jerry Sandusky had been confidentially to university police as a “likely pedophile” as early as 1998.

Sandusky has been charged with 50 counts of child sex abuse spanning a 15-year period during his tenure as an assistant football coach at Pennsylvania State University. Head coach Joe Paterno was fired in November for failing to have taken action and died in November.

Sandusky denies any wrongdoing.

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According to NBC, the finding was contained in a report by State College psychologist Alycia Chambers, a therapist for an alleged victim, that was included among the files of a police investigation conducted into allegations against Sandusky in 1998.

The police report can be read here (PDF) and the psychologist’s report can be read here (PDF).

The investigation was initiated after Sandusky was accused of showering with and bear hugging Chambers’ patient and another child in a locker room.

“There was very little doubt in my mind [Sandusky]…was a male predator, someone that was in the process of grooming a young man for abuse ,” Chambers was quoted as telling NBC in an interview, her first on the matter. “I thought…my report was strong enough to suggest that this was somebody who should be watched.”

The broadcaster noted that Chambers had her patient’s family’s permission to speak publicly.

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The Associated Press reported yesterday that US Postal Inspection police were investigating a Sandusky charity and that there was reason to believe mail fraud was suspected.