"I've forgiven, I've been forgiven. I've comforted others, I've

been comforted. I've been kissed by dogs, I've been bit by dogs,"

he said. "I've conformed, I've also been different. I've been me.

I've been loved, I've been hated."

Three victims spoke, often fighting back tears. One looked

Sandusky in the eyes at times. Two of the men exchanged a long

embrace after court was adjourned.

The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant coach was found

guilty in June of 45 counts of child sexual abuse, convicted of

molesting 10 boys over a 15-year period. Witnesses said Sandusky

used the charitable organization he founded for troubled children

as his personal hunting ground to find and groom boys to become his

victims.

Judge John Cleland handed down a 30- to 60-year term. He called

Sandusky dangerous, saying he betrayed children and abused their

trust. Under Pennsylvania law, Sandusky cannot be released on parole

before the minimum term is up.

Sandusky's arrest 11 months ago, and the details that came out during

his trial over the summer, transformed his public image from

a college coach who had been widely admired for his work with The

Second Mile charity into that of a reviled pervert who preyed on

the very youngsters who sought his help.

Eight of the boys he was found guilty of molesting testified at

his trial, describing a range of abuse that included fondling, oral

sex and anal intercourse. One of the prosecution's star witnesses,

former graduate assistant Mike McQueary, testified that he saw

Sandusky raping a boy in a locker room shower.

Sandusky has consistently maintained his innocence and plans to

appeal. One element of the appeal is expected to be a claim that

the defense did not have time to adequately prepare for trial.

Sandusky was charged in November, following a lengthy

investigation.

Sandusky said he knows in his heart that he did not do what he

called "disgusting acts," repeating a comment he made in a

three-minute monologue that aired Monday night by Penn State Com

Radio. In the radio recording, Sandusky described himself as the

victim of a coordinated conspiracy among Penn State, investigators,

civil attorneys, the media and others.

His statement in court lasted 15 minutes and his voice cracked

as he spoke of missing his loved ones.

"I speak today with hope in my heart for a brighter day, not

knowing if that day will come," Sandusky said. "Many moments have

been spent looking for a purpose. Maybe it will help others, some

vulnerable children who might have been abused, might not be, as a

result of the publicity."

His statement also included numerous sports references: He said

he once told his wife "we're definitely in the fourth quarter"

and he referenced the movie "Seabiscuit."

He also spoke of instances in which he said he helped children.

Among the three victims who spoke Tuesday, a young man who said he was

11 when Sandusky groped him in a shower in 1998, said Sandusky is in

denial and should "stop coming up with excuses."

"I've been left with deep painful wounds that you caused and

had been buried in the garden of my heart for many years," he

said.

Another man said he was 13 when, in 2001, Sandusky lured him

into a Penn State sauna and then a shower and forced him to

touch the ex-coach.

"I am troubled with flashbacks of his naked body, something

that will never be erased from my memory," he said. "Jerry has

harmed children, of which I am one of them."

"The tragedy of this crime is that it's a story of betrayal.

The most obvious aspect is your betrayal of 10 children,"

Cleland said before the sentencing. "I'm not going to sentence you

to centuries in prison, although the law will permit that." Still, Cleland said,

he expected Sandusky to die in prison.

Before sentencing, Judge Cleland designated Sandusky as a

sexually violent predator under the state's Megan's Law. The label

essentially has no effect on Sandusky, since its requirement is

lifetime registration after a convict is released from prison.

Sandusky won't be released on parole before the minimum 30-year

term is up.

In sentencing the ex-coach, Cleland called Sandusky dangerous,

saying, "You abused the trust of those who trusted you." He also

called Sandusky's comments in the radio statement about a

conspiracy against him "unbelievable."

After the sentencing, prosecutor Joe McGettigan praised the

victims' courage and dismissed Sandusky's comments as "a

masterpiece of banal self-delusion, completely untethered from

reality and without any acceptance of responsibility."

"It was entirely self-focused as if he, again, were the

victim," McGettigan said.

Lawyers for the victims said they were satisfied with the

sentence, but with four lawsuits brought against Penn State and

several more expected, and Penn State laboring under severe NCAA

penalties, cleaning up in the wake of what may be the biggest

scandal in college sports history may take years.

Ben Andreozzi, an attorney for one the victims, said the

university needs to do more: "It's important they understand

before we get into serious discussions about money, that there are

other, noneconomic issues. We need apologies. We need changes in

policy. This isn't just about money."

Penn State fired Paterno after Sandusky's arrest, and the coach

died of lung cancer three months later. The scandal also brought

down university president Graham Spanier.