Judge throws out 3 of 51 counts against Sandusky

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - The judge overseeing Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse trial has thrown out three of the 51 charges in the case, leaving the former Penn State assistant football coach facing 48 counts.

Judge John Cleland has dismissed two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse related to the alleged sexual abuse of an accuser known as Victim 4. Cleland says the charges did not bear out what testimony revealed.

In his ruling, released Thursday morning, Cleland says he would have been required to set aside any convictions on those counts, because "the verdict was not supported by the evidence."

He also dismissed a count that he says was the same as another charge.

Cleland also ruled against a defense motion to dismiss five counts related to a boy who was allegedly seen with Sandusky by a janitor.