Penn State scandal boosts calls to N.J.’s hotline
New Jersey’s child abuse hotline has seen an increase in calls in the wake of the Penn State sex scandal.
The hotline received as many as 750 calls a day in November after a grand jury indicted former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The compares to 400 in the months before the scandal broke.
The hotline handled 80,543 calls from November to last month, 6,815 more than the previous year.
Advocates for Children of New Jersey director Cecilia Zalkin tells The Star-Ledger despite the number of calls and investigations, it does not appear more children are falling under the supervision of the state’s child welfare agency.
Sandusky has maintained his innocence to 52 charges for alleged sexual abuse of boys over 15 years.
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