Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse trial: 9 jurors picked

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (KABC) -- The first nine jurors have been chosen in the child sex abuse trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Jury selection got under way on Tuesday and could take several days. Some 220 potential jurors reported for duty.

In the first questioning of 40 prospective jurors, about half said they or immediate family members worked at Penn State or were university retirees. Four knew Sandusky, and two knew his wife.

A middle-aged woman who is a Penn State football season ticketholder, a 24-year-old man and a mother of two were among the jurors who were picked. Seven more jurors need to be selected to bring the total to 12 jurors and four alternates.

Once the trial begins, Sandusky's alleged victims are expected to take the stand. The judge ruled this week they will have to testify using their real names.

The judge also disclosed to the potential jurors that the wife and son of late football coach Joe Paterno were possibly among the defense witnesses in the trial. Sandusky's family members were also on a list shown to the prospective jurors, along with assistant coach Mike McQueary and his father, John McQueary. Mike McQueary claims he saw Sandusky naked in a team shower with a young boy more than a decade ago, and reported it to Paterno.

Sandusky, 68, faces 52 criminal counts and potential penalties that could result in an effective life prison sentence. He has denied the allegations.

The former defensive coordinator and his lawyer did not comment as they entered a central Pennsylvania courthouse Tuesday morning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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