Closing arguments in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse trial could begin as soon as Thursday, Judge John Cleland said Monday.

He said the defense will probably end its case midday Wednesday, followed by the prosecution's rebuttal. That should end Wednesday afternoon, clearing the way for closing arguments Thursday, less than two weeks after the start of what had been expected to be a three-week case.

The defense case began Monday, but testimony ended early because of "technical issues" involving witnesses, Cleland told jurors.

Sandusky, 68, is on trial on 51 counts related to accusations of improper conduct and sexual abuse involving at least 10 boys over a 15-year span. The former Penn State assistant coach has denied the charges.

At the conclusion of the trial, jurors will be sequestered in a hotel so outside influences cannot affect their deliberations, Cleland said.

Prosecutors wrapped up their case Monday morning with brief testimony from the mother of one of the alleged victims.

"He gave him clothes, he gave him gifts," the mother of an accuser called Victim 9 testified. "I just wish he'd given him underwear to replace the underwear I could never find in my laundry."

The final prosecution witness testified Monday that her son seemed to suffer from stomach ailments during the time he was visiting Sandusky and sometimes did not want to visit the former Penn State assistant's home.

But she said she did not ask him about any possible abuse and still does not know what happened to him.

"I didn't really want to hear," she said, crying.

The defense then opened its case with a former Penn State coach who testified about Sandusky's stellar reputation in the community.

Richard Anderson said that it was not uncommon for coaches and youths to use the shower at the same time, and that he had never seen anything inappropriate between Sandusky and a child.

Before Monday's testimony, Cleland rejected defense arguments that the charges were too vague or the testimony did not support the claims.

Prosecutors did withdraw one charge of unlawful contact with a minor involving one of the defendants. The law was not in effect during the time the alleged misconduct occurred, prosecutors said. That left 51 charges pending against Sandusky.

A main focus of the defense's strategy may be to attempt to poke holes in the prosecution's case thus far.

"A lot of people lied," lawyer Joe Amendola said last Monday in his opening statement.

Over four days, several people testified that Sandusky forced them to engage in sexual acts with him in various places, including showers in the Penn State coaches' locker room, hotel rooms and the basement of his home.

One told jurors that Sandusky -- whom he met, like many of the accusers, through the Second Mile nonprofit for disadvantaged youths that the ex-coach founded -- had threatened him if he told others about the abuse. Another said Sandusky warned he might send him home from a trip to Texas, where they'd gone to watch a Penn State bowl game, if he resisted the sexual advances.

"There's a tsunami of evidence against him," veteran criminal defense attorney Ron Kuby said.

The defense could challenge the accusers' timetable, questioning if Sandusky could have committed the crimes they claim he did, when they say he did them.