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As Jerry Sandusky maintains he did not have any sexual contact with children, police are reportedly looking into more claims of abuse against the former Penn State defensive coordinator.
According to the New York Times, close to 10 more suspected victims have gone to police since Sandusky's arrest more than a week ago.
Sandusky, 67, is accused in a 40-count indictment of sexually abusing eight boys over a period of 15 years. In his first public comments since his arrest, he steadfastly professed his innocence Monday in a phone interview with NBC's Bob Costas.
Sandusky admitted that he "shouldn't have showered with those kids" -- but maintained he was innocent of the child sex abuse charges that rocked the university and brought Joe Paterno's coaching career to an end in its 46th season.
Sandusky said Paterno never spoke to him directly about his behavior.
And he branded as "false" a claim by assistant coach Mike McQueary that he witnessed Sandusky having sex with a 10-year-old boy in the locker room showers in 2002.
Costas asked Sandusky, "Are you a pedophile?"
He responded, "No."
"I'm innocent of these charges," he added.
"I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their legs without intent of sexual contact.
"I enjoy young people. I love to be around them. But no, I'm not sexually attracted to young boys."
When pressed if he felt anything he did was wrong, he answered, "I shouldn't have showered with those kids."
Paterno was fired last Wednesday, with the school facing a massive backlash over claims it did not do enough to stop the alleged abuse. Paterno had announced he would retire at season's end, but the school's board of trustees decided he should be fired immediately.
According to a grand jury report, McQueary, then a 28-year-old graduate assistant, notified Paterno of what he saw, but the allegations were never reported to police by the university.
Sandusky told NBC that Paterno never spoke to him about his alleged behavior and, when asked directly about McQueary's claim he witnessed the 2002 incident, he said, "I would say that that's false."
Earlier Monday, McQueary defended himself against criticism he did not do enough to stop the alleged attack.
In an email to former teammates, obtained by NBC News, McQueary said "the truth is not out there fully" and that he "didn't just turn and run" after seeing what was happening to the child, who was called Victim 2 in the grand jury report.
Sandusky's attorney, Joe Amendola, said on NBC's "Rock Center" that he believes he has identified Victim 2, and that "we have information that the child said it never happened."
