HUDSONVILLE, MI - The adopted son of Jerry Sandusky told an audience of 400 at the Children's Advocacy Center luncheon Thursday, May 14, about how the former Penn State University assistant football coach groomed him and other children for sexual abuse.

In October 2012, Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison after being convicted of 45 charges of child sexual abuse.

Matthew Sandusky walked the crowd at the Pinnacle Center through the subtle and gradual grooming process of building trust with children through attention and activities before the sexual abuse actually takes place. He told them of a dysfunctional and abusive childhood that made him easy prey when steered to Sandusky's Second Mile nonprofit for disadvantaged youth when he was 7.

"The Second Mile was feeding this man the perfect victims," said Sandusky, 36, who said he was age 8 when the abuse began at the nonprofit's summer camp and 17 when it ended.

He said Jerry Sandusky had all their backgrounds, knew who didn't have a father in their lives, so all he had to do was choose who to target. He said the kids were taken to football games with seats on the 50-yard-line and the coach began spending more time with the boy's family.

The abuse began subtly, with Jerry Sandusky placing his hand on his knee repeatedly, and gradually escalated to performing sexual acts on each other.

"I could never tell anyone that," he said. "I just endured. During those times, I would disassociate.''

He said he was empowered to tell his story by a man given the pseudonym Victim #4 in court proceedings, whose story was so similar to his own abuse.

"I'm trying to show survivors there is hope, that healing does happen and the opportunity is there for everybody," said Sandusky, who operates the Peaceful Hearts Foundation with his wife and mother of their five children.

"That's why I take advantage of these types opportunities, especially for Children's Advocacy Centers, where the work is so important and needed."

Darcy Komejan, executive director of the Children's Advocacy Center in Holland, said Matthew Sandusky is the example of virtually 90 percent of the children who come through their doors. She said he is the face of child sexual abuse.

"His offender was someone he knew, loved and trusted. It was not a stranger," said Komejan, who said the center serves 600 alleged victims per year.

The advocacy center offers counseling and court preparation, as well as providing a prevention program for 8,000 students annually.



Sandusky urged parents in the audience to have a conversation with their children. He challenged the crowd to have the courage to start a conversation somewhere about child sexual abuse to draw greater attention to what he calls a public health epidemic.

A free event is being held for students in grades six to 12 and others tonight at the Park Theatre, 248 South River Avenue in Holland. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her at mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook