The adopted son of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky still lives in the Pennsylvania town where he was abused by the infamous football coach, but now he has a different last name. Matt Sandusky, 36, officially changed his last name after revealing he was abused during the 2012 sex crimes trial that resulted in a 45-count conviction for his adopted father. He is keeping the new last name secret to make life in State College, the home of Pennsylvania State University and the Nittany Lions football team, easier on his wife and four children. Scroll down for video . Matt Sandusky (above) officially changed his last name after revealing he was abused during his father's trial . Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of 45 counts of sex crimes against young boys and is serving 30-60 years . Matt, 36, refuses to speak his 71-year-old father's name and simply refers to him as 'my perpetrator' Matt, who claims he's 'not mad' about the situation, does sometimes use his hold last name when he speaks on behalf of Peaceful Hearts, his nonprofit organization, according to Bleacher Report. He started the foundation with his second wife Kim to help victims of childhood sexual abuse. Matt said: 'With the foundation, I'm Sandusky. 'Because, like it or not, people identify the name with everything that happened. 'And that's important to the cause.' Even though Matt will speak about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, he refuses to say his name and simply calls him 'my perpetrator'. Matt started the Peaceful Hearts foundation with his wife Kim to help victims of childhood sexual abuse . Sandusky was an assistant coach under Hall of Fame Penn State Football coach Joe Paterno (pictured . Penn State football is part of life in State College and fans of the program are known for their dedication . Jerry Sandusky, 71, is serving a de facto life sentence, 30-60 years, at State Correctional Institution Greene maximum security prison. He claims to be innocent. Before the child abuse scandal Sandusky was best known for working under Hall of Fame Penn State football coach Joe Paterno. Matt was placed in foster care with the Sandusky family in January 1995. and adopted  after he turned 18. After revealing Sandusky's abuse, Matt was paid a civil settlement by Penn State. Dottie Sandusky, Jerry's wife, has always maintained her husband's innocence. Another one of their adopted sons, 39-year-old Jeff, also says his father is innocent. Given coach Paterno's legendary status in State College, some residents and football fans did not take kindly to Matt revealing what had happened to him. That was one of the reasons Kim and Matt picked out a new last name in August of 2013. According to Kim, Matt's four children (three with his first wife) were being hassled due to their surname. She said: 'The bullying was very bad. 'So as a family we decided to start new and let the kids avoid being stigmatized.' Coach Paterno's legendary status in State College led to Matt's four children being bullied at school . They did consider leaving, but opted to stay because 'there are a lot of caring people here', according to Matt. As of now, he plans to stay in State College and continue to spread his message. He said: 'Child sexual abuse impacts so many Americans and yet we do far too little about it. 'If that can change, I'll feel like this has all been a worthwhile journey and I can feel real pride.'
Matt Sandusky, 36, changed his last name and is keeping it a secret . Adopted father was convicted of 45 counts of sex crimes against boys . Matt still lives in State College, the home of Pennsylvania State University . Jerry Sandusky was assistant to legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno . Sandusky, 71, is serving a 30-60 year sentence at SCI Greene prison .