Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, who faced allegations of sexually abusing Penn State students through his charity earlier this year, was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison, Tuesday.
According to the New York Times, the 68-year-old former coach stood in front of several victims in a red jumpsuit with a bullet proof vest underneath, and listened to their statements in court, before reading his own.
"I didn't do the alleged, disgusting acts," Sandusky said.
"They can make me out to be a monster. They can't take my heart away."
One of the eight victims, known as Victim No. 5, said during his statement, "the sentence will never erase what he did to me. It will never make me whole."
Judge John Cleland said to the court that it was "too abstract to have practical meaning' to sentence Sandusky to centuries behind bars, the Daily News reported.
The former coach continued to express his innocence in his statement, and broke down at the end. He stressed the sadness of being taken away from his family.
"A story of betrayal. Has justice been done? It's a fair and important question," Judge Cleland said, referring to the case.
After the sentencing was announced, Penn States President Rodney Erickson released a statement.
"Our thoughts today, as they have been for the last year, go out to the victims of Jerry Sandusky's abuse," Erickson said.
"While today's sentence cannot erase what has happened, hopefully it will provide comfort to those affected by these horrible events and help them continue down the road to recovery."
Sandusky's attorneys plan to file an appeal his sentence.
