ROBERT SNYDER
On a quiet neighborhood street in Fort Collins, Colo., young chess players would flock to the home of chess master Robert Snyder, an icon in the chess world who ran a popular -- and lucrative -- camp for aspiring players.....But according to Colorado cops, the children he taught were merely pawns in his own sick game.....“Robert Snyder posed as this great person who was mentoring these children and making them feel inspired on a lot of different levels,” says AMW's Michelle Sigona, who worked on the story. “He was able to keep that front going for a while.”....Police say parents were shocked when a child came home from a “Chess Warrior Weekend,” a sleep-over event at Snyder's home, and said that Snyder had molested him.....Later that summer, another student of Snyder’s revealed in a therapy session that he had also been molested.....“As a parent, you should be doing background checks and checking the references of an adult you’re allowing to be around your child,” Michelle said. “Unfortunately, Robert Snyder slipped through the cracks.”....Before the allegations, Snyder seemed have a stellar reputation. Not only did was he a published author of several chess strategy books, he also trained famous actors like Will Smith and Nicholas Cage in the art of the game.....“I believe his passion for chess, combined with his attraction to children, is what motivated him to be ultra-successful,” Michelle said.....For the story, Michelle interviewed one of the children Snyder abused and both boys' parents. In most situations, AMW will not reveal the identity of abuse survivors or their family members, so those interviews were conducted in silhouette to protect their identities.....“When something like this is released to the public, people tend to look at others differently,” Michelle said.....Although Snyder was arrested in 2005, he was released in 2008 and failed to meet with his probation officer or register as a sex offender. That's a violation of his probation, and he could face another decade in prison.....He’s been on the run ever since, but you can help force Snyder's checkmate by watching AMW this Saturday and FOX and calling in with your tips.....In the meantime, get the full story and see photos of Snyder’s chess camp on AMW.com.....
