HispanicBusiness

The judge in former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's trial set strict ground rules for the media once the jury reaches a verdict.

Judge John Cleland warned Thursday that any reporter or news organization that reports the verdict before he excuses the jury, deals with lawyers' motions and adjourns court could face penalties, KYW-TV, Philadelphia, reported. Cleland said all members of the public and media must remain in the courtroom until he releases them.

Sandusky is charged with 48 counts of molesting boys he met through his Second Mile charity.

Cleland sequestered the jury for deliberations, which began Thursday afternoon, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Jurors discussed the case for about 7 hours and then requested a readback of testimony from Mike McQueary, a Penn State assistant coach who said he saw Sandusky molesting a boy in the shower and reported it to university officials, who took no action.

Lawyers gave their closing arguments Thursday morning. Joe Amendola, Sandusky's lawyer, suggested the former coach is a victim of overzealous prosecutors and men who hope to make money from civil suits. Lead prosecutor, Joseph McGettigan, said the evidence showed convincingly that Sandusky is a serial sexual predator.

An adopted son of Sandusky told prosecutors he would have testified at the trial that Sandusky molested him, his attorney said.

Andrew Shubin, attorney for Matt Sandusky, 33, said his client, who was adopted by Jerry and Dottie Sandusky as an adult after living with them as a foster child, was prepared to testify if called by prosecutors, the (Harrisburg) Patriot-News reported Thursday.