Joe Paterno Vows To Pray For "Poor Victims." Boys Raped In Showers Would Have Preferred Call To Cops 10 Years Ago.

During a windowside chat this evening, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno told a crowd of admirers gathered on his front lawn that he and his wife are praying for the “poor victims” that “got involved with some of the problems that were talked about.”

Speaking from inside his home, the 84-year-old Paterno remarked that, “There’s been some criticism of the way we’ve handled some of the poor victims. You know, my wife and I we have 17 grandkids from 16 to 3 and we pray for them every night. We’re gonna start praying for those kids that got involved with some of the problems that were talked about.”

[Paterno, pictured above talking through his living room window, was not crying as he spoke, as has been reported.]

He continued, “They don’t deserve it...we owe it to them to say a prayer for them and to make sure that they understand that their life is one that can be enriched.”

Paterno did not address, of course, the likelihood that his prayer pledge would be unnecessary had he just called the cops after learning a decade ago that his former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was allegedly spotted sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the shower at the university’s football facility.

If you haven't read the Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing Sandusky's alleged history of child molestation, click here to download a PDF of the 23-page document.