(CNN) -- Former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno may have played a greater role than previously known in a decision made by university officials not to report a 2001 incident involving former coach Jerry Sandusky and a boy in a locker room shower, according to e-mails written by university officials. CNN does not have the e-mails, but the alleged contents were made available to CNN. A jury last month convicted Sandusky, 68, the Nittany Lions' former defensive coordinator, on multiple charges of sexual abusing 10 boys over a period of 15 years. At Sandusky's trial, former Penn State graduate assistant Mike McQueary testified he believed he saw sexual contact between Sandusky and a boy in the shower and told Paterno in February 2001.
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Penn State officials failed to report a 2001 incident involving Jerry Sandusky
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E-mails suggest Joe Paterno may have played a role in that decision
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Paterno died in January; the family attorney says Paterno never interfered with probe
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Source: Penn State was researching its legal obligation to report incident
The alleged e-mails, the contents of which were first reported by CNN, were among other documents, including a @placeholder file, discovered by Penn State and turned over to state prosecutors as part of ongoing investigations, according to both Penn State and prosecutors.