Former Torrance High School Wrestling Coach Guilty of Molesting 25 Teens

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TORRANCE – A 48-year-old former Torrance High School wrestling team coach was found guilty today of lewd acts and molesting of 25 students. According to evidence presented in court during the 13-day-long jury trial, Thomas Joseph Snider, while working as a coach in 1995, 1996 and from 2013-2015 molested students between the ages of 13-16 years of age.

Snider told students that he was inspecting them for skin diseases and had them take off their clothing, touching the genitals of some of the victims. It was also testified that Snider watched students shower and gave several of them massages. The incidents of the skin checks came to light when students spoke of the nude skin checks to members of opposing teams, prosecutors said.

The jury found Snider guilty of 26 felony counts including lewd acts upon a 14 or 15-year-old, three felony counts of lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14 and eight misdemeanor counts of child molesting. Snider is due back at the Torrance Superior Court on October 28th for sentencing, where he faces 73 years to life in prison.