Jerry Sandusky to disappear from mural near Penn State campus

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Jerry Sandusky’s image will be removed from a prominent mural near the Penn State campus, the mural’s artist, Michael Pilato, says.

The mural, ‘Inspiration,’ is outside the student book store near the Penn State campus. It contains faces of notable figures in State College, Pa., history, including Sandusky, the former Penn State defensive coordinator who was arrested last week on charges that he sexually abused eight boys.

Milato got the idea after the mother of one of Sandusky’s alleged victims emailed him and asked him to do it.

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‘I believe in due process. I do,’ Pilato told CNN. ‘But with all the evidence in the news right now and some of the victims living here, it kills me to think of the victims having to walk past this. It saddens me to do this. When I first met Jerry, I thought he was a great man. He fooled me like he fooled everyone.’

He is replacing Sandusky with a blue ribbon to represent the victims.

Penn State football Coach Joe Paterno also appears in the mural, Milato said he was going to paint a blue ribbon on Paterno’s shirt.

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Photos, from top: Michael Pilato paints over Jerry Sandusky’s image; the mural features prominent people in State College, Pa., history. Credit: Pat Little / Reuters