A children’s book writer from San Clemente was acquitted Friday of nearly all counts filed against him in a case involving a 12- year-old female relative and the 9-year-old daughter of his wife’s friend, who had accused him of molestation.
Michael William Snyder, 47, was convicted of three misdemeanor counts of simple battery related to the older girl, meaning jurors felt he had touched her without permission, but not in a sexual way, defense attorney Salvatore Ciulla said.
When it became clear that Snyder was acquitted of the most serious sex charges, the defendant choked up and fished a handkerchief out of his pocket.
Snyder — who was credited for 1,150 days in jail since his Sept. 15, 2011, arrest — was expected to be released from custody by tonight. The maximum sentence he could receive for the misdemeanor convictions was six months.
If Snyder had been convicted of lewd acts and oral copulation of a child younger than 10, he would have faced up to 90 years to life in prison.
Jurors deliberated for about two days. The foreman told attorneys that he thought the younger girl, who is the daughter of a friend of his late wife, was “coached.”
Snyder looked like a “buffoon” when he testified, the jury foreman said, which confirmed suspicions that he acted “inappropriately,” but not necessarily criminally.
Snyder’s wife took her own life while the case was pending, the defendant’s father said.
“She committed suicide because of this,” Bill Snyder said, adding that his son “wasn’t there” to help her with her “mental health” issues.
“His whole life was taken away from him,” he said of his son.
Ciulla contended that Orange County sheriff’s Deputy Michael Starnes, who investigated the case, made allegations in his report that weren’t backed up by taped interviews. For instance, Starnes said in his report that Snyder called one of the girls “a little slut” during questioning, which wasn’t true, according to the defense attorney.
Deputy District Attorney Mike Carroll, who declined to comment on the verdicts, had argued that the sheriff’s investigation shouldn’t be the focus of the jury’s attention and that the panel should rely on the testimony of the girls.
Jurors told attorneys that Starnes’ testimony and investigation did not make a difference in their decision.
The defendant’s mother, Linda, said of the verdicts, “The Lord Jesus Christ has prevailed. The Holy Spirit was with the jury and the truth was revealed.”
Multiple counts of violating a protective order for contacting his wife were dismissed prior to the trial because the victim had died.
Snyder’s children’s book website — beetlebugbooks.com — identified him as Mr. Mike and said he had written books such as “Lemon Drop Rain,” “Swimming in Chocolate,” and “Over the Top.”
He owned a company that subcontracted with the state Department of Developmental Services to provide care for mentally and physically disabled adults and their families.
— City News Service