Questions about what Sandusky's wife knew

Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky is facing 52 counts of child sexual abuse, but his attorney Joe Amendola told CBS News that his wife, 68-year-old Dorothy (known as Dottie), is also suffering the consequences.

"Her whole life is ruined. I mean, even if they come out of this - and I've compared this battle to climbing Mt. Everest from the bottom - even if somehow Jerry comes out of this without being convicted, I mean, their lives are ruined."

Dottie has been a fixture of Jerry Sandusky's life for 45 years, helping raise the couple's six adopted children and being an active participant in his Second Mile youth charity, reports CBS News correspondent Anna Werner.

But her name is coming up in the case - questions about what she knew or didn't know about her husband's alleged sexual abuse of children.

Ten young men have alleged they were molested by Sandusky over a period of 15 years.

In a grand jury report released Wednesday, one accuser said that while he was being sexually assaulted by Sandusky in the basement bedroom of the couple's home, he screamed for help knowing that Sandusky's wife was upstairs. But, he said, no one ever came to help him.

Dottie Sandusky responded to that allegation Thursday, saying she has been "devastated . . . by these false accusations that such a terrible incident ever occurred in my home."

She said she and her husband "don't know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue."

Now the attorney for another alleged victim tells CBS News that at next week's preliminary hearing, he expects his client will be asked questions about what he calls an incident in which Mrs. Sandusky may have had knowledge of inappropriate conduct concerning her husband.

He would not discuss details of that incident.

Sandusky himself, meanwhile, continues to maintain that he is innocent.