Ex-South Bay High School Wrestling Coach Convicted of Sex Charges Involving 25 Boys

TORRANCE, CA -- A former Torrance High School wrestling coach was convicted Thursday of more than three dozen sex-related charges involving 25 boys.

Jurors found Thomas Joseph Snider, 48, guilty of 26 felony counts of committing a lewd act on a child of 14 or 15, three felony counts of lewd acts on a child under 14 and eight misdemeanor counts of child molesting.

Snider -- who was ordered to be taken into custody after the jury's verdict -- is facing up to 73 years and eight months to life in state prison, with sentencing set for Oct. 28.

The case involved 25 students between the ages of 13 and 16 who were inspected by Snider under the guise of checking for skin diseases, according to evidence presented at his trial.

During the inspections, Snider had the teens take off their clothing and would sometimes touch their genitals, according to Deputy District Attorneys Hyunah Suh and Juree Kim.

Snider also watched students shower and massaged several of them, according to evidence presented at his trial.

School officials became aware of Snider's conduct after students told opposing team members about the skin checks, the prosecutors said.

Snider was initially placed on paid administrative leave, then placed on unpaid leave after he was arrested in Torrance police in April 2015.

"It's going to be our intent to bring forth charges for his termination based on his conviction to our Board of Education," a school district spokeswoman said Thursday afternoon.

--City News Service, photo courtesy of the Torrance Police Department