Penn State names ex-FBI chief to probe sex abuse

PHILADELPHIA, (Reuters) – Penn State University  trustees today named former FBI director and federal judge  Louis Freeh to head an independent investigation into the child  sex abuse scandal that has rocked the university.
Freeh told a news conference that the investigative team  run by his law firm would examine gaps in Penn State’s “control  environment,” oversight and culture that allowed years of  alleged abuse to go undetected and unreported.
“The scope of our work will be broad, covering a lengthy  period of time,” Freeh said.
Jerry Sandusky, a former assistant football coach at Penn  State, was charged this month with multiple counts of sexually  abusing eight young boys over a 15-year period. In a  nationally-televised interview, Sandusky denied he abused the  boys and said he is not a pedophile.
Two former university officials were charged in an alleged  cover-up. All three have stated they are innocent.
The board of trustees fired legendary football coach Joe  Paterno and Penn State’s president for failing to tell police  about the abuse once they learned of it.
Multiple investigations have been launched into what led to  Sandusky’s alleged crime and the university’s response,  including the one by the board of trustees that has now engaged  Freeh and his law firm.
“We have to do an investigation that is perceived by  everyone as fully impartial and comprehensive,” said Ken  Frazier, chairman of the trustees’ special committee.
Freeh, who was FBI director from 1993 to 2001, has no  previous connection to the university.
“The scope of his work will be expansive, and he is free to  take his work to whatever conclusions he deems appropriate,”  Frazier said, adding that no one, including the trustees, will  be exempt from the review.
Some have criticized the trustees for being blind-sided by  the grand jury report into Sandusky’s alleged crimes and the  role that university officials might have played in covering  them up, even though the existence of an investigation was  reported earlier this year.
There is no specific time-frame for Freeh to complete his  investigation and the findings and recommendations will be made  public.
Freeh said investigators he has assembled include former  FBI agents and prosecutors with decades of experience,  including some with experience in pedophile cases.
The team has established its own toll-free hotline and  email address for tips relevant to the case.