How Could You? Hall of Shame-Michael William Snyder UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Orange County, California, 43-year-old international adoptive father Michael Snyder was arrested on suspicion of molesting a 12-year-old girl [age corrected on 2/9/12 from original report of age 14].

He and his wife adopted a teenaged boy and girl last year from China.

“Snyder’s alleged victim went to her mother, who then called authorities Wednesday.

“It was definitely not a one-time occurrence, it had been going on since last year,” said Jim Amormino of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.”

“In addition to writing kids’ books and performing at schools and libraries, Snyder also runs a company called Independent Living Program.

“He has a business that contracts with a state agency, goes to people’s homes, provides services for the mentally disabled,” Amormino said.

Authorities spent hours collecting evidence from Snyder’s home in San Clemente on Thursday. ”

He is being held on $100,000 bail.

San Clemente kids’ books author allegedly molested girl
[KABC TV Los Angeles 3/10/11 by Eileen Frere]

Update/February 19, 2012

Apologies on the missed Sep 2011 update on this case. This case has had a lot of activity in February 2012 after new charges and a second victim were added on September 2011. No word yet on which adoption agency was the homestudy or placing agency.

September 2011

From Children’s Book Author Charged With Child Molestation, Again [KTLA 9/16/11], “A children’s book author, already charged with molesting a 12-year old girl, is now accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl.

In the most recent case, Michael William Snyder, 44, is charged with felony oral copulation of a child 10 years or younger and a lewd act upon a child under 14, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing a sexual offense on more than one victim.

Prosecutors say the 9-year-old visited his home between January 2008 and September 2010 and that in at least one instance Snyder took her to Sea World and orally copulated her.

On another occasion, Snyder is accused of putting his hand up the girl’s shirt and rubbing her back.

In March, Snyder was charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old female relative at his home in 2010.

He was arrested after the girl’s mother went to authorities stating the writer may have molested her daughter.

Snyder allegedly rubbed the girl’s chest and stomach under her shirt “with a sexual intent” and sat her on his lap and put his hands up her skirt, the Orange County district attorney’s office said in a statement.

Known as ‘Mr. Mike,’ Snyder wrote and illustrated “Lemon Drop Raid,” “Over the Top,” and “Swimming in Chocolate,” according to his website, beetlebugbooks.com.

Snyder often spoke at local elementary schools and provided in-home services to mentally disabled people and their families, as a contractor through the state’s Department of Developmental Services.

“Because of the children’s books, the fear is there may be additional victims,” says OC Sheriff Spokesman, Jim Amormino.

Anyone with additional information or who believes they have been a victim is encouraged to contact investigator Lou Gutierrez of the Orange County district attorney’s office at (714) 347-8794.

Snyder is being held on $1-million bail.”

From Michael William Snyder, Children’s Book Author “Mr. Mike,” Faces Charges of Molesting 2nd Little Girl [Orange County Weekly 9/16/11 by Matt Coker], “Thirty years to life in state prisone [sic] is the maximum prison time Snyder faces if he is convicted of all charges from both cases. ”

“Originally, Snyder was accused of rubbing the 12-year-old’s chest and stomach under her shirt on several occasions, having her sit on his lap while he tried to arouse either her or himself and instructing her not to tell anyone between June 2010 and March of this year.

When the girl told her mother she did not want to be alone with Snyder, the mother became suspicious and asked her questions that led to the disclosure that the author had molested the 12-year-old, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office (OCDA).

The mother informed the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which led to Snyder’s initial arrest and the charges brought by the OCDA in March. Media coverage of that produced the latest allegations.

Between Jan. 1, 2008, and Sept. 7, 2010, Snyder is accused putting his hand up the back of the 9-year-old girl, a family friend, and rubbing her back, and of having her over to his home before taking her to Sea World and orally copulating her.

Before his original April 8 arraignment at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, Snyder posted $100,000 bail and was released from custody. He’s now being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Men’s Central Jail in Santa Ana, where today’s second arraignment is scheduled to be held. ”

From Orange County Public Criminal Docket

He has had 18 hearings between April 7, 2011 and February 15, 2012. Cases were consolidated on November 18, 2011.

He has pled not guilty to all charges on February 15, 2012. His next pre-trial hearing is February 24, 2012. His charges are pasted below:

06/01/2010 288(a) PC F Lewd or lascivious act with minor
06/01/2010 288(a) PC F Lewd or lascivious act with minor
06/01/2010 288(a) PC F Lewd or lascivious act with minor
06/01/2010 288(a) PC F Lewd or lascivious act with minor
01/01/2008 288.7(b) PC F Oral copulation or sexual penetration with child 10 years or younger
01/01/2008 288(a) PC F Lewd or lascivious act with minor
04/23/2011 273.6(a) PC M Disobeying domestic relations court order
05/07/2011 273.6(a) PC M Disobeying domestic relations court order
05/21/2011 273.6(a) PC M Disobeying domestic relations court order
06/12/2011 273.6(a) PC M Disobeying domestic relations court order
04/23/2011 166(a)(4) PC M Contempt of court – disobey court order
05/07/2011 166(a)(4) PC M Contempt of court – disobey court order
05/21/2011 166(a)(4) PC M Contempt of court – disobey court order
06/12/2011 166(a)(4) PC M Contempt of court – disobey court order

His website is still active http://www.beetlebugbooks.com/about-mr-mike/ . He has a link on the side called “Where in the World is Mr. Mike”. We can answer that question now…in jail on a $1Million bond. Apparently he was unavailable to schools in 2010 and 2011 according to http://www.beetlebugbooks.com/schools/schools-in-the-usa/.

Under Mr. Mike Facts, he states that he visited up to 50 schools per year.

“Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on a ‘retelling’ of a famous fairytale. I have finished writing it and now I’m working on the illustrations. I also have a few more storybooks in the works and have been developing a spooky chapter book series. I’ll tell you more when the time is right!” 

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Again, I find it hard to believe that a thorough homestudy was done in this case.

Update 2: A check of the public case records of Orange County, California reveals that arraignment was on 3/5/12 and a motion discovery hearing has been scheduled for November 16, 2012.

The records state that he posted $100,000 bond on 3/15/11 and the bail was exonerated on 11/18/11.

Update 3: His jury trial has been set for January 14, 2013.

Update 4/June 18, 2013: According to public Orange county court records, his jury trial has been delayed 7 times since January 2013. He had a pretrial conference on June 14, 2013. Another pretrial conference is scheduled for August 2, 2013. His 14 charges still remain as stated in our first update.

Update 5/August 7, 2013:According to public Orange county court records, there was a pretrial conference held on August 2, 2013. Next pretrial conference is scheduled for September 20, 2013.

Update 6:“Having recently arrived in an unfamiliar country, the girl at the center of a molestation trial involving a children’s book author said at first she thought the man’s alleged behavior was typical of her new culture.

The girl – a recently adopted, 12-year-old native of China at the time of the alleged abuse – is one of two juveniles that authorities believe the author known as “Mr. Mike” may have molested.

The trial of Michael William Snyder, 47, began Thursday in the Santa Ana Courthouse, with prosecutors describing him as a “monster” and his attorney claiming he is the victim of false accusations.

Snyder – author and illustrator of books such as “Lemon Drop Rain,” “Over the Top” and “Swimming in Chocolate” and a frequent speaker at elementary schools – is facing felony counts of sex acts with a child 10 years or younger and lewd acts on a child under 14.

The girl, who is now 16 years old, described Snyder rubbing her body on several occasions in his San Clemente home, at times while she was trying to sleep.

“I thought it was a natural thing in America to do,” the girl said in court.

Snyder’s wife became suspicious and contacted authorities. After an investigation involving the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and social service workers, Snyder was taken into custody in March 2011.

Several months later, a family friend of Snyder’s said she learned that her then-7-year-old daughter had also been molested, including one incident where she claimed Snyder sexually abused the girl just before to a trip to the San Diego Zoo.

The second girl, who is now 13 years old, said she was reluctant to tell her parents what happened and only did so when her mother asked her directly. The mother said she was concerned after Snyder’s arrest, knowing that he had spent time alone with her daughter.

“I was kind of nervous,” the girl said in testimony. “I wasn’t sure what happened.”

During opening arguments Thursday in the courtroom of Orange County Superior Court Judge Cheri Pham, Deputy District Attorney Michael Carroll described numerous acts of alleged abuse involving the two girls.

“The evidence will show that he is a monster,” Carroll said.

Snyder’s attorney denied that the sexual abuse ever occurred, claiming the girls had “mistaken memories,” as a result of Snyder’s wife “projecting” on them the abuse she had suffered as a child.

Attorney Salvatore Ciulla claimed Snyder’s wife suffered from unspecified mental health issues as their marriage crumbled. The woman committed suicide between Snyder’s arrest and the start of the trial, authorities said.

“This case is not about child molestation. This case is about false accusations,” Ciulla said. “This case is about things that didn’t happen but are believed to be true.”

The trial will continue Monday at the Santa Ana courthouse. If convicted, Snyder faces the possibility of 30 years to life in state prison. ”

Girls testify of sexual abuse at O.C. author’s trial[Orange County Register 10/31/14 by Sean Emery]

Update 7:”A children’s book author was found not guilty Friday of molesting two girls after a jury determined that while he may have touched one of the children without her permission, there was no indication that he sexually assaulted either of them.

An Orange County Superior Court jury acquitted Michael William Snyder, a San Clemente-based author and illustrator, of felony lewd acts and oral copulation charges. Instead, they found him guilty of three lesser, misdemeanor counts of simple battery. 

Snyder, 47, sniffled and wiped away tears after the jury’s verdict was announced.

Outside the courtroom, jurors told the attorneys that while some of Snyder’s interactions with the girls may have been inappropriate, they didn’t think there was enough evidence to prove that he sexually abused them.

One girl testified that Snyder had molested her when she was 12 years old, shortly after she was adopted and moved to the United States from her native China. A second girl testified that Snyder sexually assaulted her several times, including one day when they were getting ready to go to the San Diego Zoo.

Both children, now in their teens, had difficulty remembering many details on the stand. Jurors told attorneys that they believed the second girl had been coached to make the accusations.

Snyder’s parents, who visited him every day and attended the entire trial, said they were overjoyed at the verdict.

“The truth was revealed,” said Linda Snyder, Michael’s mother.

Bill Snyder, Michael’s father, said the high-profile allegations have jeopardized his son’s career. Known as “Mr. Mike,” Snyder was a frequent speaker at local schools prior to his arrest.

“That was all taken away from him,” Bill Snyder said.

Snyder’s wife, Kersti, first alerted authorities about the allegations. During his court testimony, Snyder claimed Kersti suffered from mental health issues and was prone to unbalanced behavior. Kersti committed suicide in 2013.

During his closing comments, attorney Salvatore Ciulla contended that the girls had “mistaken memories.”

“You can believe something that never occurred,” Ciulla told the jury. “Memory isn’t perfect.”

The battery charges essentially meant the jury believed he touched one of the girls without her permission, but that it wasn’t sexual.

The charges carried a potential 60-day sentence, but since Snyder already spent more than three years in jail waiting for the trial, Judge Cheri Pham ordered him released Friday night.

“I’m so happy for Mike and for his parents,” Ciulla said after the verdict. “He has been in custody a long time for something he didn’t do.” ”

Children’s book author found not guilty of molestation[Orange County Register 11/7/14 by Sean Emery]