0:00

A quick note about this chapter, it

0:02

contains profanity and graphic depictions

0:05

of child abuse, and sexual assault.

0:07

That some listeners may

0:09

find disturbing. Also

0:10

in almost

0:12

every episode of of podcast, the

0:15

voice of chanson, easy is read

0:17

by voice actor, James Sullivan.

0:19

But for this episode, The

0:21

Family shared with us an audio tape

0:23

of Sean, what seems to be

0:25

one of the only remaining recordings

0:28

of him. he was captured

0:30

during an interview with his ernie

0:33

the we miss episode it is

0:35

sean's actual voice but

0:37

you will hear

0:38

advanced

0:45

local and mentally of media hypes

0:47

the is

0:50

the mayor of me the

1:03

fuck yourself

1:05

january fifteenth two thousand

1:07

and eighteen or missouri has shown here

1:10

was sean's see and was

1:12

killed croatia's of the have

1:14

three the provider and were

1:16

conducting and interview and just wanna make

1:19

sure to pay that i take the sooner

1:21

you sean yes

1:23

i'm johnson he the very last day

1:25

at the ranch rehab facility his

1:28

attorney and issue been went to visit him

1:30

to keep conversation with sean

1:32

and his counselor he

1:34

wanted to get on the record the abuse

1:36

that shines suffered the hands

1:38

and jerry sandusky although

1:40

it's hard to know for sure it appears

1:42

this appears this first documented

1:45

times that sean really opens

1:47

up about the extent of the abuse

1:49

that he endured so

1:52

, know we're taking you back to two thousand

1:55

so the remember anything

1:57

of that first time that you have to

2:00

that camera small world

2:02

jumping off

2:04

i'm old iron bull like eyes

2:07

and stuff

2:08

sean starts at eight years old when

2:10

he first met jerry sandusky in the

2:12

year two thousand when psychologists

2:14

treating his brother josh recommended

2:17

that his mother get both boys involved

2:19

in the second mile run an issue

2:21

was still comes

2:23

to us for matter

2:26

just kind of

2:28

looked up

2:29

the around houseful

2:32

of learn about football

2:34

the know

2:37

just looked next

2:40

in our memories oregon

2:42

and minded to so i want

2:44

see now that's actually physically

2:47

met that's him inside

2:49

the program or anything like out justice

2:52

to be as guess

2:53

this is the casino night that

2:55

sean and his brother josh and their parents

2:57

were invited to as special guests

3:00

of honor arrows direct

3:02

knowledge

3:03

the stirrup remember him speaking

3:06

in our got it all shows his

3:08

gas

3:10

the picture taken a ball

3:13

through last man on rather him but

3:15

captain america the

3:17

newspaper i ,

3:19

first fire stated his house was

3:21

at night she meant afterwards you

3:24

remember gone back to his house in altoona

3:26

yeah pressuring and picks

3:29

up at her house and drove us

3:31

heirs to the lake foxy

3:33

now and ,

3:35

matters air afterwards however

3:38

my have stay there afterwards after

3:41

work after on race was

3:43

over fearless

3:45

, bags with clothes and stuff went on

3:47

overnight game or her service

3:50

after lane at our members exactly

3:53

the rents member staying himself

3:55

said right afterwards joke and

3:57

money's you say there's some tuesday

4:00

the beach

4:02

isn't your recollection the

4:04

dumbest for some us house least

4:06

a year before we want to bed

4:08

like he sat there i'm ben my talk

4:11

to them their

4:14

houses he called them

4:16

like just song for as a benign

4:19

like a story exposure or

4:21

size of all people are

4:23

scams we got picked out

4:25

to go

4:26

sean in describing the grooming that

4:28

sex offenders often used to me nebula

4:30

victims and their families said that when

4:33

most station begins it's harder

4:35

for the the them to report eight and

4:37

harder for people around them to believe

4:39

it as the deed goes on

4:41

sean details many times in

4:43

places where he says he was abused

4:46

what you're going to hear is graphic

4:51

grilling me and and up

4:54

for satellite

4:57

i mean something like a spoiled

5:00

often thought that doesn't work

5:04

ten years lizard happen during

5:06

the camp sessions said

5:09

seems like you remember specifically

5:12

the the groping in the

5:14

pool i'm in the

5:16

dorm room to do

5:18

remember going to there

5:21

and see campus off shower

5:25

my weight on we

5:28

worked out all this and changed

5:30

and lock but

5:33

showers their right right

5:37

grub now

5:41

the onset of the elders

5:43

others attack them right right

5:47

yeah showers wet

5:52

towels around us and then

5:55

he broke me a couple different times in

5:57

the shower so sacred

6:01

reprinted he mestrovic you he

6:03

tried to ah lane

6:07

stopped so

6:11

in the showers you call him grabbing

6:13

your penis your call whether

6:15

she rushes a shower

6:17

yeah i

6:19

was weird really

6:22

know what to do earlier

6:26

antwone i ,

6:30

our way back locker room

6:33

the mirrors a number daughter's

6:35

house with redress is

6:37

, on that always

6:40

end up like pair of the

6:43

i was around with my size

6:46

robbers and around my waist line

6:48

help me out

6:50

of times to get policy analysts

6:53

you always tip was sam

6:58

on reading the door and let me

7:01

walk and housed in

7:03

those things of

7:05

the i'm like

7:09

why rather be in shower right

7:13

on top

7:17

are you really a

7:19

the lawsuit

7:21

out in max

7:24

this family plan or some fans

7:27

alike

7:28

zarrella my thighs are actually

7:30

gone for other get

7:33

push handler yeah

7:39

three my worries

7:41

lion

7:42

help me a ,

7:45

that let's recap laid off people

7:47

mail them right

7:51

i i felt uncomfortable i

7:54

don't know anything how

7:58

are you is max landis at same time

8:00

in an accident the

8:03

an hour

8:05

our

8:09

the privilege to be loud i'm

8:12

all ears

8:15

lol though

8:20

sean recalls the football camp the

8:22

one where he called his parents to com

8:25

and get him early the one that everyone

8:27

in his life seemed to wonder

8:29

about for years of research

8:33

on reconnect there relatives

8:38

the

8:41

i guess that was different

8:44

section of like the dorm was

8:47

coach what sleep and

8:52

section the campers

8:55

right

8:59

we got there people

9:01

out there yet i

9:03

am and room that night

9:07

i blame by the there are other

9:15

he wrote about

9:17

it and start really

9:19

uncomfortable target

9:24

until after all the song

9:26

was wrong spread know what

9:30

and our brothers

9:32

as a here and the dorms our

9:36

certain crimes

9:40

then he left my on long

9:45

i think there's

9:47

through the day or that

9:49

made him that night recall

9:54

talk about of top center

9:57

ours is cent of

9:59

the right do

10:03

you recall the

10:05

after we can ask where he stayed

10:07

in touch me juri mama

10:12

iran's for scholarships or so roller

10:15

show i ,

10:17

saw one around them stop answer

10:20

his phone calls

10:23

however my mom

10:28

or so many

10:35

after while the recording stops

10:37

and it starts again in different room

10:40

this time it's just sean and his attorney

10:43

on the recording and issue been and shine

10:45

talk about how there were things that

10:47

sean did not feel comfortable sharing

10:49

in front of the counsellor he

10:51

said it because she's a woman

10:53

but shubin wants to get them on the record

10:55

and so they picked back up again without

10:57

her shoulder

10:59

, go back over forces forces

11:02

hard as just you and miss the word is at

11:04

fifty for through on his okay if i

11:06

continued record you just and

11:09

you feel uncomfortable you started by saying

11:11

fellow comfortable because joe was in the

11:13

room for most of it or it so

11:16

we're we're talking about sex

11:18

acts about bears

11:21

fun as was bears own kind

11:24

was talk about something price

11:27

one hundred fine so i think that's why it's good

11:29

that were habit of cells

11:32

so what's go back to the shower

11:35

though we've already talked about the

11:37

snapping at towel should groper you

11:39

and shower so you

11:41

were to step down to talk to me about the

11:44

shower head what

11:46

my head on

11:49

my back it was like me

11:52

off with under the shower so

11:57

com off my

12:00

ass lot

12:03

my penis

12:05

oh

12:08

him and really recommend grabs

12:12

our get overseen an erection

12:14

shower with while he administered

12:17

of do you recall

12:20

feeling his penis while he has lifted

12:22

up once or twice

12:24

yeah right have feeling of and

12:26

was around where your pot was

12:29

the do

12:31

you ever been really uncomfortable

12:34

it i

12:37

recently know sean goes

12:40

back over some of the the other instances

12:42

to wow on my

12:44

legs none of those shorts

12:47

on the basketball

12:49

shorts non or the embargo on com

12:51

ships were very heavy gauge our

12:55

good my husband right

13:00

yeah new shoes

13:04

omaha my com towards know a small

13:07

boy and his allies

13:09

worse remus area

13:11

but not for we know who's

13:14

lying there real

13:17

rises common

13:19

knowledge of very good floor

13:21

and almost almost answers this

13:26

the owners bars broken

13:28

movies or the sometimes not

13:30

feel it is right

13:34

he put me on top of long as

13:37

it's doors were actually hard the

13:40

you are wearing shorts that he gave you are

13:44

some anyway

13:47

at a cold we

13:49

got one recant

13:51

this

13:52

tape what sean is sharing it

13:54

really puts into perspective what we know

13:56

about his life why went the way that

13:58

it did what he was dealing with privately

14:01

in his mind any hesitation

14:03

to tell his story when investigator

14:05

anthony says know first came

14:08

this an easy home and asked to speak

14:10

to sean

14:12

moreover i down and they got

14:14

answers now somehow

14:16

got on with

14:20

syrup sometimes meeting

14:23

with mess churches

14:26

rak called not rec have offices

14:30

free software the quiet

14:32

nobody around know

14:37

are you just there was someone else with

14:39

him

14:43

and have i'm just

14:45

about run away

14:48

never to else out of

14:51

time i was over

14:55

or to get eyes hey

14:58

i am all the oh

15:04

in drop in a

15:07

nurse and she sure

15:09

is an easy for my t it's over

15:11

there for fresh i

15:14

mean i

15:16

, dressed up

15:18

like order and let you know i obama

15:21

just solomon and

15:24

it does

15:27

, family

15:31

there

15:31

was something i get up with this kid

15:34

and my college

15:37

i then

15:39

he reveals that

15:40

one point in particular after send

15:42

us his arrest that was turning

15:44

point for him i remember one

15:47

time somebody monitor

15:50

testify under his ah a

15:52

moment that nine of his family particularly

15:55

remembered but clearly that

15:57

it shine in great way

16:00

remember song being sedentary

16:02

wireless for me and my brother to

16:04

testify on to say

16:08

that he was

16:11

i'll just like really fucked up man school

16:13

is end right

16:16

now it's

16:18

like and knowing he book did hi

16:25

more organ

16:27

and legal troubles andreas

16:30

thrive support my house

16:33

the audience and thought wrote

16:35

keep jobs i get

16:38

a for ,

16:40

like ours and

16:42

work for awhile and then just farmer so

16:45

nepal off work

16:47

in ohio times square around

16:49

so drugs

16:53

i got worse

16:56

there's always

16:58

like dow the people thought that there's

17:00

an issue like soft mouth regrows

17:03

denied it he bought

17:05

judges site or judge all

17:07

his ass the

17:09

write letters the judge much

17:11

stop or something there's also

17:13

happen to me prominent brow is denied

17:16

it judge anything

17:19

happens something happen now

17:21

time to do something about rice

17:24

i want talk about yeah you're

17:26

right how

17:28

out

17:31

i'm drunkard

17:35

going didn't say clean for a little bit

17:39

of , on our so so

17:42

work and laid

17:44

off yeah black

17:48

friday right

17:52

and fourteen source

17:54

on drugs again

17:56

hi this time in his life sean has

17:58

been struggling with addiction and for a

18:00

decade and even his own

18:02

retelling of the events seem

18:04

to exhaust him

18:07

trump's sale the reader for

18:09

party as ibuprofen started

18:12

views on some pills hours

18:15

on heroin again try to beat the system

18:18

high , the two

18:20

or three times and causes

18:22

my employer sponsored on

18:25

to go back to jail dot to

18:28

c queen for two months or

18:30

transfer to another halfway house

18:32

of the favelas be

18:34

one there for whom had

18:36

needles harry

18:39

last i saw

18:41

, tourists bullish levels

18:43

of the obvious that

18:47

high below for grotesques

18:49

this only back to jail eleven happens

18:51

got out of may

18:54

thirty two thousand and seventeen

18:58

and i was out for twenty three

19:00

days i ,

19:02

like first to this i

19:05

felt drug test for some

19:07

lox three weeks

19:09

sean how about the chaos of his

19:12

life and how it's splintered

19:14

out and manifested in different ways

19:16

not just drug abuse but also

19:18

his ability to under the and

19:20

healthy relationship this

19:23

may be hard to talk about the sexual

19:25

your first sexual here

19:28

he says well with a pedophile

19:30

with him abuse the pedophile

19:33

the courage to pretend

19:35

loves right there

19:39

was sexual issues it's those

19:42

girls the

19:44

have any right there's english

19:48

[unk] dig into this girl's few

19:51

feel like you will ever a

19:54

healthy sexual rush supreme

19:57

that you will have what

20:01

oh my relationships are dollars

20:03

for my so fittingly sewage are slow

20:05

one awesome the around

20:09

throughout much of this recording sean

20:11

seems to be recounting his own erratic

20:13

behavior pretty straightforward

20:16

manner almost as if he's telling

20:18

someone elses story toward

20:20

the end of the interview the

20:23

interjects something rather reflective

20:26

how many to to me months

20:28

was android wear

20:30

, addiction to

20:33

legal issues it

20:36

doesn't matter of addiction

20:37

he says we talk about what he did

20:39

to me mentally then

20:42

he can access to his addiction

20:44

to be unexpected trajectory

20:46

of his life the life

20:49

the mayor of maple avenue

20:52

was going with much out of

20:55

school now it

20:57

or know who i know many i

20:59

don't know who i am anymore

21:03

watch out i

21:05

, i would like to see

21:08

you know my son's address

21:10

some of those this receiver there

21:12

are some ,

21:14

ups or family for those who i

21:17

am an item

21:19

hobbies that item hobbies dylan line

21:25

shortly after this the

21:27

recording and

21:36

if you're not a glass place and why mine's

21:38

v is was twelve other addicts

21:40

living in house the movie that

21:42

just doesn't make any sense to me the

21:46

can't stay here in everywhere i go

21:48

there's there's nike hanging on the bathroom

21:50

law it's everywhere down here ottawa

21:52

think that treatment needs d faut i

21:54

get it in on an impressive need be comfortable

21:57

he was clearly uncomfortable weems

22:00

we reach him

22:02

i was on him burrow teams

22:05

the down in the fetal position

22:07

i'm not floor begging and

22:10

then we will bring him back up

22:12

bills him that

22:14

freaked me out that and that's when

22:16

i was like my god what did i do

22:18

who is this guy i

22:21

guess you know in hindsight look back and he

22:23

was i so stupid

22:25

right now i look at it as he now

22:27

i was so guess first

22:41

the mayor of maple avenue is written and produced

22:43

by me see again i'm in partnership

22:45

with can live and meadowlark media

22:48

additional writing was done by carl scott

22:50

that meadowlark media could

22:52

not have done this project without funding from

22:54

the fund for investigative journalism

22:57

and the pulitzer centre our associate

22:59

producers or tory within sarah rhubarb

23:02

and even schreier additional

23:04

reporting done by charlie thompson

23:06

aaron cousin it's and andrea correctly

23:09

the executive producers are keep their embark

23:11

noel interests of honor for penalize

23:14

and coral scott for met alert media

23:18

the they're of maple avenue was edited by

23:20

james sullivan and gabriel rojas

23:22

at wu ft in gainesville florida

23:25

by jake gloss at cedar production

23:27

part in boutros at penn studios

23:30

and see them next at meadowlark

23:32

media design

23:34

was done by jesse pearlstein alex

23:36

ricky martin the truth and ryan

23:38

ross mess i were mixing

23:40

and mastering engineer was rough and wise

23:43

our theme music and much of score

23:45

was composed by pete read men with

23:47

additional music by alexander richie

23:50

jesse in an ryan russ

23:52

smith our team also

23:54

includes production assistants megan levy

23:56

heaton joe hermit sarah tantawi

23:58

photographer sean first in

24:00

consultants john him and tree and

24:02

neville elder our legal

24:05

council is richard bernstein the

24:07

podcast cover art was designed my

24:09

andy raw