A former wrestling coach at Torrance High School in Torrance, Calif., has been sentenced to more than 64 years in prison after being found guilty of molesting 25 students over the last 20 years.
KABC-TV reports that Thomas Joseph Snider, 48, was convicted earlier this month of 26 counts of lewd acts upon a child 14 or 15 years old, three counts of felony lewd acts upon a child under 14 and eight misdemeanor counts of child molesting. He was charged in April 2015.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Snider molested 25 students between 13 and 16 years old while working as a wrestling coach at the school in 1995 and 1996 and from 2013 to 2015.
Snider molested the victims under the guise of inspecting them for skin diseases, prosecutors say.
Judge Mark Arnold told Snider that he violated the trust students placed in him as coach. "The last thing I want to say to you is shame on your for what you've done," the judge said, ordering the bailiffs to remove Snider from the courtroom.
Video from KABC-TV:
