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Saturday, May 18, 2013 | 10:52 p.m.

Updated: 9:00 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 | Posted: 9:26 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012

Former PSU president charged in connection with Sandusky sex abuse case; 2 other former admins charged with additional counts

By Brittany BoyerGary Sinderson WJAC Web Staff, Bill Wadell and The Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. —

Former Penn State President Graham Spanier on Thursday became the latest high-ranking school official to face charges in the child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda L. Kelly announced criminal charges against Spanier and additional charges against two other former Penn State administrators.

During the news conference, Kelly said former PSU Senior Vice President Gary Shultz and former PSU Director of Athletics Tim Curley were each previously charged with one count of perjury and one count of failure to report suspected child abuse.

Shultz and Curley are now each also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of children, three counts of conspiracy and obstruction.

Spanier is charged with perjury, two counts of endangering the welfare of children, three counts of conspiracy, obstruction and failure to report suspected child abuse.

With the new charges, all three men now face the same five charges.

An investigation led by ex-FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded that Spanier failed in his duties as president by not informing the board of trustees about the allegations against Sandusky or about the subsequent grand jury investigation.

Freeh's report identified Spanier as one of four Penn State leaders -- including Shultz, Curley and Joe Paterno -- who covered up Sandusky's abuses to spare the university bad publicity.

Spanier has told investigators he wasn't notified of any criminal behavior by Sandusky during his 16 years as president. In June, a jury found Sandusky guilty of 45 counts of child sex abuse and Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

After the news conference, Spanier's lawyers issued a statement responding to the charges. Spanier said he's not guilty of the cover-up charges he faces in the Sandusky molestation scandal, and he is accusing the governor of trying to settle a personal score.

Spanier's attorneys say the charges are the result of Gov. Tom Corbett trying to divert attention from the three-year investigation into Sandusky that began when the governor was attorney general.

In the statement, Spanier's lawyers said facts don't support the charges, and claim Corbett is behind what they call a politically motivated frame-up.

Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley says Spanier's statement "sounds like the ranting of a desperate man who just got indicted."

Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.

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