San Clemente Children's Book Author Accused of Sex With Minor

A 43-year-old San Clemente children's book author is in custody today, arrested last night on suspicion of having sex with a girl under the age of 14 several times over the course of a year.

Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino said the man, Michael Snyder, also was a private contractor with the California Department of Developmental Services, which, in part, provides in-home services to people with mental disabilities and their families.

The OCSD's Special Victims Unit began investigating the complaint against Snyder yesterday, and they arrested him at around 7 p.m. as Snyder was picking up his child from the Boys & Girls Club in San Clemente.

Amormino said investigators suspect Snyder of victimizing children other than the one he is currently accused of victimizing.

Authorities are holding Snyder on $100,000 bail.

According to Snyder's biography on his author's Web site, he began writing in elementary school and started writing poetry when he was 13 years old.

As an adult, he worked in an after-school program where the children dubbed him "Mr. Mike," according to the biography on the site.

The children encouraged him to use his stories and illustrations in children's books, according to the author's site. This lead Snyder to write books like Lemon Drop Rain, New Pet, Over the Top and Swimming in Chocolate.

"Mr. Mike lives in a little house near the ocean in Southern California," the site states. "When he’s not writing and illustrating, he loves to walk on the beach, drop by his favorite chocolate shop and travel to far away places! He’s currently working on a retelling of a famous fairy tale."

Anyone who believes they have information on this case should call 1-888-TIP-OCSD.