Ex-Penn State coach Sandusky's son accused of child abuse

Jeffrey Sandusky faces 14 counts

The adopted son of Jerry Sandusky, the US college football coach convicted of child abuse, has been accused of sexually abusing two teenage sisters.

Jeffrey Sandusky, 41, allegedly sent explicit text messages to children, asking for nude photographs.

The arrest comes nearly five years after his father, who worked for Pennsylvania State University, was found guilty on similar charges.

The elder Sandusky is serving a lengthy prison sentence for molesting 10 boys.

The son - who attended many of his father's court proceedings - faces 14 counts, including statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of a minor and photographing or depicting sexual acts.

The elder Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator for Penn State, was sentenced to at least 30 years behind bars

He was formally charged at a court in the Pennsylvanian town of Bellefonte on Monday afternoon.

His adopted mother, Dorothy Sandusky, was also present at the hearing, according to local media.

The investigation began in November 2016, police say, when a child claimed to have received a text message from the younger Sandusky.

The child shared the photo with her father, who alerted police.

Mr Sandusky's bail has been set at $200,000 (£160,000), which he was unable to post, court records show.

He is being held in jail pending trial and is prohibited from having any contact with minors.

His employer, the Rockview State Prison, has suspended him as a prison officer, pending trial.

Dorothy Sandusky (R), pictured at a 2010 court appearance for her husband, was in court again for her adopted son's arraignment

Mr Sandusky's brother, Matt, told NBC News his thoughts are "with the victims".

He also had some harsh words for his sibling.

"He should not see the outside of a prison cell for the rest of his life if these allegations are true," said Matt Sandusky.

The revelation that coach Jerry Sandusky has abused children, some whom were beneficiaries of his own charity, shocked Pennsylvanians and fans of US college football.

The school president, as well as the team's head coach, were both fired after being accused of seeking to cover up allegations against Sandusky, the school's longtime defensive co-ordinator.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eventually punished the team by stripping it of all victories from 1998-2011 and imposing a fine of $60m (£48m).