BELLEFONTE, Pa. – Jerry Sandusky’s lawyers rested their case Wednesday without calling the former Penn State assistant football coach to the stand to rebut child sex abuse allegations that could put him in prison for the rest of his life.

The next step in the trial is closing arguments, set for Thursday morning.

Jurors have heard from eight men — now 18 to 28 years old — who said the 68-year-old former coach sexually assaulted them after they met him through the charity he founded for at-risk youth.

Sandusky is charged with 51 criminal counts for alleged abuse of 10 boys over 15 years. He has denied the allegations but acknowledged that he had showered with boys.

The case has shaken one of the most storied sports programs in the U.S., with testimony about abuse in the team’s locker rooms and showers.

The accusers described a range of allegations from fondling to oral sex and forced anal sex that one young man said left him injured.

The identities of two other alleged victims are unknown to investigators.

The defence has suggested the accusers have financial motivations for their claims and were improperly influenced by investigators. They also put on character witnesses who spoke of Sandusky’s sound reputation, and his wife said her husband didn’t do anything inappropriate.