Already facing four felony counts of lewd
acts on a child under 14 and a maximum sentence of 14 years in
state prison if convicted, children's book author Michael William Snyder now has to deal with new accusations that he molested a second little girl that could put him away for 30 years to life.
The 9-year-old girl's family came forward amid the media coverage from “Mr. Mike” being charged in March with sexually
assaulting a 12-year-old female relative at his San Clemente home.
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The 44-year-old author of Lemon Drop Rain, Over the Top and Swimming in Chocolate for his Beetle Bug Books imprint is be arraigned today on a new felony count of oral copulation
of a child 10 years or younger, with a
sentencing enhancement allegation for committing a sexual offense on
more than one victim. Thirty years to life in state prisone is the maximum prison time Snyder faces if he is convicted of all charges from both cases.
Our previous post:
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.
Prosecutors fear there may be other victims, noting that the children's book author speaks at
elementary schools and is contracted with the California Department
of Developmental Services to do in-home visits with disabled children
in Orange County. Anyone with additional information or who believes
they have been a victim is encouraged to contact Supervising District
Attorney Investigator Lou Gutierrez at 714.347.8794.
OC Weekly Editor-in-Chief Matt Coker has been engaging, enraging and entertaining readers of newspapers, magazines and websites for decades. He spent the first 13 years of his career in journalism at daily newspapers before “graduating” to OC Weekly in 1995 as the alternative newsweekly’s first calendar editor.