A couple of weeks ago, the darkest and most controversial chapter in the history of collegiate sports finally came to a conclusion.

Former Penn State assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was escorted into a Pennsylvania courtroom to hear the sentence that Judge John Cleland was set to announce.

After a long and exhausting trial that exposed the monstrosities and horrors of sexual abuse under Sandusky, Cleland ordered the embattled coach to serve a sentence of 30 to 60 years in prison for abusing 10 boys he met over a 15 year period.

For Sandusky, the sentence means he will spend the rest of his life in a prison exercise yard, tending to the garden and watching cable TV. As for the victims of his heinous actions, hopefully some closure for a period of their life, which was robbed from them.

The Sandusky case has been a stark reminder to all of us about how the malicious and brutal reality of child abuse becomes so transparent in the real world. It also reminds us of how people with certain levels of authority abuse the trust and leadership given to them and the lengths to which they will cover it up.

I, like many other people, am disgusted beyond words when it comes to the atrocity of this scandal. In following this story, I can only help but think about the young lives that have been irrevocably altered by Sandusky’s actions. These victims had their youths robbed from them; many of them will carry this burden well into adulthood. This is the worst kind of scar they could possibly have.

And after seeing Sandusky walk out of the court in his orange prison-issued jumpsuit and wrist and ankle restraints, I can only wonder if this incident shed light on stopping child abuse or hiding it even further.

We know child abuse is out there. It exists, no matter how much we may want to deny it. And when it involves people in authority, the issue seems to become important only when it becomes publicized. And most people who are placed in the power of authority — individuals we presumably trust — seem to be some of the biggest perpetrators.

And it’s not just coaches or executives in sports. Police officers, teachers and health care professional have come under public scrutiny as well.

If Sandusky’s case has taught us anything, it has illustrated the importance of spotting the warning signs of child abuse and reporting them — not ignoring them. The scariest part of this case is no one really knows how many other victims are out there. Since most of the victims were products of Sandusky’s charity for youth, it is logical to assume there are more hiding underneath the blanket of their embarrassment.

As much as I want to believe something like this will never happen again, I feel that another Sandusky — like scandal is waiting in the wings. How many other coaches in athletics are abusing their power-and innocent children? How many other institutions are sweeping the warning signs under the rug? I am afraid that another “lack of institutional control” is right around the corner.

Shortly before he walked out of the courtroom, Sandusky made one last, passionate plea to the judge for leniency. It was the biggest slap-in-the-face to the victims fathomable. All I could do was shake my head in astonishment. Hopefully, the final chapter of this tragic tale has a happy ending.