Former Penn State president Graham Spanier is free on $125,000 unsecured bail after being arraigned on charges related to the child sex abuse case of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Spanier was arraigned Wednesday morning by a Harrisburg district justice on charges including perjury, obstruction and conspiracy. He has denied the allegations and claimed he is being framed for political purposes. Spanier has avoided the public eye for months, but was forced back into the spotlight nearly one year to the day of Sandusky's arrest.

The 64-year-old Spanier led Penn State for 16 years before being forced out a year ago when Sandusky was charged along with two other former Penn State administrators. Spanier is a faculty member on paid leave.

Last Thursday, Spanier became the latest high-ranking school official to face charges in the child sex abuse scandal involving Sandusky.

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

At the magistrate's office near Harrisburg, Spanier and his attorneys issued written statements tearing apart state prosecutors and Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett, calling the charges part of a personal vendetta.

Alongside his wife, Sandra, who is still an English professor at Penn State, Spanier was peppered with questions as he walked into his preliminary arraignment.

In addition to the unsecured bail, Spanier had to surrender his passport and he cannot travel outside state lines. His attorneys dodged most questions, only saying he committed no crime.

"It is absolutely ridiculous. Dr. Spanier was never given a chance to speak to this grand jury, to give his side of the story. All of this is interesting, but we will be talking to you another day. As much as I'm prepared to say today, I would like to go to the car," said Elizabeth Ainslie, Spanier's attorney.

Additional charges were also filed last week against two other school officials already charged in the case: former Penn State director of Athletics Tim Curley and former Penn State senior vice president Gary Shultz. All three men face the same five charges.

Last week, when the new charges were announced, state Attorney General Linda Kelly said the trio's conspiracy of silence to protect the university and football team's image allowed Sandusky to continue abusing several more boys.

"The law applies to everyone from the ordinary man on the street as well as those who occupy power and a great influence in our societ -- men like three defendants in this case," Kelly said.

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.

Spanier's preliminary hearing on his charges is set for next Friday. 6 News has heard that his hearing, along with Curley and Schultz's hearings will likely be pushed back.


6 News' Bill Wadell is in Harrisburg for Spanier's arraignment. Stay with 6 News, WJACTV.com and WJACTV.com Mobile for continuing coverage.