Judge will hear recantation of sexual abuse claim against ex-Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky

A Pennsylvania judge will hear a former Jerry Sandusky accuser’s planned recantation on Sept. 8, potentially adding new evidence to the convicted former Penn State assistant coach’s effort to challenge his 2012 convictions. The man, identified in court records as R.R. and publicly reported as Ryan Rittmeyer, testified at trial that Sandusky sexually abused him when he was a child. In a June 30, 2025 affidavit, Rittmeyer now says investigators influenced his recollection and encouraged him to affirm details he did not clearly remember. Sandusky’s attorneys are seeking post-conviction relief, while Pennsylvania prosecutors argue the petition is untimely and seek limits on testimony unrelated to the recantation. Former prosecutor Frank Fina is expected to testify about his interactions with Rittmeyer. Sandusky, 82, remains imprisoned under a 30-to-60-year sentence after conviction on 45 counts involving sexual abuse of boys. The hearing will assess evidence, not automatically overturn convictions or grant relief.