Former Penn State assistant football coach and pedophile suspect Jerry Sandusky may take the stand in his own defense, his lawyers hinted as his trial began Monday. Sandusky is charged with 52 counts of sexual abuse. The trial is expected to last three weeks.

ABC News:

Defense attorney Joseph Amendola said today in an opening statement that Sandusky, 68, would tell the jury about how his own experiences growing up explained some of his alleged behavior.

“It was routine for people to get in the showers in Jerry’s culture. He’s going to tell you later, it was routine for individuals to take showers together,” Amendola said.

Sandusky’s defense team also filed a motion to allow evidence that he has histrionic personality disorder, a condition that would explain some of his behavior as well as letters he wrote to his alleged victims. The disorder, his lawyer claimed in a court document, will show that his actions were not attempts to “groom” young boys for sexual seduction, as the prosecution has claimed.

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— Posted by Tracy Bloom.

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