PA prosecutors want NCAA to share Penn State fine

Prosecutors in Pennsylvania hope to steer some of the $60 million in fines Penn State must pay the NCAA over the Penn State sex-abuse scandal to children's advocacy centers across the state, reported the Associated Press.

The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association is not seeking a specific amount of money to expand the 21 current advocacy centers that exist across Pennsylvania's 67 counties.

The centers offer a single place for children to tell their stories of abuse to a trained interviewer, while police, therapists and others watch remotely. This prevents children from having to tell their stories repeatedly to various experts. The centers also offer various services or referrals to the victim and family members.

The $60 million fine is part of the NCAA sanctions facing Penn State in the wake of the sex-abuse scandal involving Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach, reported the AP. Sandusky was convicted in June of abusing 10 boys, sometimes on Penn State's campus, from 1994 to 2008.

As Lawrence County District Attorney in 1998 my office expanded and helped fund one of Pennsylvania first Children's Advocacy Centers.  In cooperation with other community stakeholders like Jamison Health System, our office was able to effectively prosecute hundreds of sex offenses with minimal anguish for victims and their families.

Centre County, the home of Penn State University, does not have a center, reported the AP.

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