Jerry Sandusky Sex Scandal, 'TODAY': Former Penn State Football Coach Insists Innocence in Exclusive Prison Interview, Witness Misinterpreted Shower Victim Incident

NBC's "TODAY" aired its exclusive interview with convicted child molester and former Penn State University football coach Jerry Sandusky. Now serving a 30- to 60-year sentence, Sandusky has kept to his story, insisting upon his innocence. This interview, conducted by documentary filmmaker John Ziegler, took place just 9 months after he was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys. In the audio recording, Sandusky addressed the eyewitness account against him by Mike McQueary.

Jerry Sandusky said that he did not know how McQueary concluded "that sex was going on" when he witnessed the former coach showering with a boy in 2001. McQueary stated that he heard a "skin-on-skin smacking sound."

Sandusky said, "I don't know that he's lying. I think that he would be uncertain about it and he may have said that I thought that I saw him. But he wouldn't have known that. How could he have known that?"

According to Ziegler, Sandusky said:

"Yeah, I hugged them. Maybe I tested boundaries. Maybe I shouldn't have showered with them. Yeah, I tickled them. I looked at them as being probably younger than even some of them were. But I didn't do any of these horrible acts and abuse these young people. I didn't violate them. I didn't harm them."

Mstarz covered the Sandusky trial and sentencing back in October of 2012. Here is an excerpt:

Under Judge John Cleland, communication within the courtroom would not be available until it was over. Further details from the judgment were only available after sentencing, which was the same as when Sandusky was under trial.

Details of what they said weren't immediately available. The hearing was still under way, and under the same rules he imposed during trial, Judge John Cleland was allowing no communication from the courtroom until after it has concluded.

According to NBC 10, Sandusky's lead attorney, Joe Amendola planned on making a statement, but said he wasn't sure if he would be able to since Sandusky released an audio statement declaring his innocence and blamed police, media, and university administrators. In the three minute statement Sandusky said, "They could treat me as a monster, but they can't take away my heart. In my heart, I know I did not do these alleged disgusting acts."

The outcome of the sexual abuse case has tarnished the university's head coach, Joe Paterno's revered image. Paterno who died earlier this year, was involved in damaging Penn State University's football program. The university was fined $60 million by the NCAA, and was stripped of 111 victories under head coach, Paterno back from 1998.