Co. DA shows the right way to handle an investigation into sexual abuse of minors

[JPZenger]

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-bethlehem-facebook-serial-rapist-more-victims-20130211,0,10055.story

In Northampton County, a man was arrested for the rape of two young girls. The District Attorney not only charged the man right away, but he also went public with the facts of the case, distributed the man's photo, and publicly urged other victims to come forward. Within one week, 6 more young victims came forward.

If only Corbett had done that with Sandusky when Corbett was given full responsibility for the case back in early 2009. A credible victim had come forward, but the investigation moved at glacial pace (that means the glacial speed that existed before Antarctica started to rapidly fall apart). That victim later said that he considered suicide because he assumed no one had believed him, because Sandusky was still walking free.

Corbett's investigation also continued in secrecy, which opened up the potential that Sandusky could have found other unsuspecting victims during those years. The widely respected unit of the Attorney General's office that specialized in handling those types of cases was never given a chance to be involved in the investigation. According to some reports, Corbett's investigation never moved off the back burner until a narcotics officer accidentally stumbled onto the computerized case file while investigating steroids abuse in State College. Once the investigators actually traveled to Penn State, they started to uncover the cesspool. Among their eventual findings was a file folder in the office of the Penn State Executive Vice President that included all of the past suspicions about Sandusky.

[Drale]

1. The problem with handling it this way is

what if they got the wrong guy and this guy was innocent? You've now spread his photo all over the place and ruined his life. He will forever known as a child rapist even though he was innocent. He will also never get a fair trial now, its impossible for anyone to be impartial on a jury when the DA as already told everyone he is guilty.

[JPZenger]

2. You wait until you have a credible witness, and you check the facts so their story rings true

An experienced investigator knows whether to believe an accuser. It is their job to check out the accuser's motivations and whether the facts in their story check out. The investigators usually ask multiple questions in different ways to make sure that the story remains consistent. That process shouldn't take almost 3 years, as it did in the Attorney General's investigation.