Ex-Penn State leader goes on trial in Sandusky molestation

football coach, was charged with child molestation in 2011. Spanier is charged with putting children at risk by mishandling child sex abuse complaints about Sandusky. He denies any wrongdoing.

The government witness list also names police investigators and university staff who knew about earlier complaints about Sandusky. That list includes Mike McQueary, a graduate assistant coach who reported seeing Sandusky shower with a boy in 2001.

. Opening statements are expected late Tuesday morning.

Spanier, 68, is accused of two counts of endangering the welfare of children and a single conspiracy charge, all felonies. Schultz and Curley pleaded guilty last week to a single misdemeanor count of child endangerment and are awaiting sentencing.

The charges stem from their handling of the 2001 report that Sandusky had apparently molested a boy in a team shower. Prosecutors say their failure to report that to authorities allowed Sandusky to continue to abuse boys and also endangered others.

Sandusky was not arrested until 2011, after prosecutors got an anonymous tip about the shower incident. Sandusky was convicted in 2012 of sexually abusing 10 boys and is serving 30 to 60 years in prison.

A key piece of evidence is likely to be an email exchange in which the three high-ranking officials debated how they should handle the 2001 shower incident. Spanier gave his approval to having Curley tell Sandusky to get professional help or face a report to the state’s child welfare agency.

“The only downside for us is if the message isn’t ‘heard’ and acted upon, and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it,” Spanier replied.