Sandusky reportedly on suicide watch

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky will now begin the next phase of his life as a convicted child sex offender. NBC's John Yang reports.

By NBC and msnbc.com news services

Jerry Sandusky has been placed on suicide watch, one of his lawyers said Saturday, a day after he was convicted of sexually abusing children in what one juror told NBC was a clear case of guilt.

Centre County Correctional Facility via Reuters

Jerry Sandusky is seen in this booking photo on Friday.

Karl Rominger said Sandusky was under individual guard at the county jail, known as suicide watch, and was apart from the general prison population, Reuters reported.?

It was not clear if Sandusky had acted in a way that threatened his own life, or if the move was standard procedure in such a high-profile case.

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Rominger reiterated that the former defensive coach for Penn State football will appeal the verdict, a process that can happen when Sandusky is sentenced in 90 days or so.

Sandusky, 68, was convicted Friday of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and faces a minimum sentence of 60 years in prison, NBC News reported.

NBC TODAY: Juror explains deliberations

Juror?Joshua Harper told TODAY that the look on Sandusky's face as the guilty verdicts were announced was "confirmation" that they had made the right decision.

Sandusky had shown "no real emotion, just kind of accepting because he knew it was true," he added.

The ex-coach had repeatedly denied the allegations, and his defense suggested that his accusers had a financial motive to make up stories, years after the fact.

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As Sandusky was placed in a police cruiser to be taken to jail on Friday, someone yelled at him to "rot in hell!" Others hurled insults and he shook his head no in response.

Defense attorney Joe Amendola was interrupted by cheers from the crowd on the courthouse steps when he said, "The sentence that Jerry will receive will be a life sentence."

Sandusky is one 272 inmates at the Centre County Correctional Facility, a jail that is just seven miles from the Penn State campus.

Like other inmates there, he was allowed to bring a few items with him and is allowed?visits from his family, friends and lawyers.

The jail did not say whether anyone had come to see him Saturday. At his home, his wife and three of their adopted children remained inside after returning there Friday night. The windows blinds and curtains were drawn.?

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jerry Sandusky's victims, their families and an entire community are hoping to move forward after the former Penn State assistant football coach was found guilty of child sex abuse. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

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