The scandal that rocked Penn State University right to it's very core has gotten much bigger, deeper and darker following the findings of an internal and independent report.

Penn State hired Louis Freeh, a former FBI director, to conduct an investigation to discover any new possible findings. Thursday morning, Freeh released his 267-page report regarding the Jerry Sandusky child molestation case.

According to the report, former Nittany Lions head coach -- and the now deceased -- Joe Paterno was aware of sexual acts done by Sandusky to underage victims in 1998, three years before Mike McQueary reported to Paterno about what he saw in a university shower in 2001.

Among the findings, here is a chilling and damning excerpt:

"It is more reasonable to conclude that, in order to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, the most powerful leaders at Penn State University – Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley – repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse from the authorities, the Board of Trustees, Penn State community, and the public at large. Although concern to treat the child abuser humanely was expressly stated, no such sentiments were ever expressed by them for Sandusky's victims."

To read more about the summary of the findings, here is Dan Wetzel's breakdown on Yahoo! Sports.