Los Angeles–The former head coach of the Torrance High School wrestling team was found guilty today of 37 counts of lewd acts and child molesting, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Thomas Joseph Snider, 48, of Torrance, was found guilty of 26 felony counts of lewd acts upon a child 14 or 15 years old, three felony counts of felony lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14 and eight misdemeanor counts of child molesting.
A jury also found true an allegation that there were multiple victims.
Sentencing in case YA092267 is scheduled on Oct. 28 in Department G of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Torrance Branch. Snider faces more than 73 years to life in state prison.
Deputy District Attorneys Hyunah Suh and Juree Kim handled the 13-day-long jury trial.
According to the evidence presented at the trial, while working as a wrestling coach in 1995, 1996 and from 2013 and 2015, Snider molested 25 students between the ages of 13 and 16 years old under the guise of inspecting them for skin diseases. During the so-called skin inspections, the defendant would make the victims take off their clothing and would sometimes touch the victims’ genitals, the prosecutors said.
Snider also watched students shower and would massage several of them, according to evidence presented at the trial. School officials became aware of the conduct after students told opposing team members about the nude skin checks, the prosecutors added.
