Police arrest man on suspicion of sexually abusing displaced children
A 64-year-old man from Kiryat Shmona is under investigation for sexually abusing children between the ages of 3 and 7 at a hotel housing families displaced from Israel’s northern front, Israel Police have announced.
Investigators allege that the suspect carried out repeated sexual offenses against his victims.
Galil Station police investigated sexual offenses committed by the suspect at a Herzliya hotel hosting displaced families, showing a series of offenses committed by the adult against children near him.
After suspicion was raised by a concerned parent, police uncovered footage from within the hotel showing the suspect entering and exiting elevators on several occasions with different children.
The suspect raised suspicion for exploiting his status as displaced to gain closer access to children in the same situation.
On February 8, Israel Police began a comprehensive investigation into claims from the mother of a 4-year-old girl who was believed to have been sexually abused, revealing that the suspect was also a displaced resident staying in the same accommodation for the displaced communities of the North.
The initial claim cracked the case further, revealing that the suspect attended children’s activities at the hotel, luring multiple children between the ages of 3-7 to his hotel room and sexually abusing them.
This not only revealed a series of other young victims of abuse, but a long and severe pattern committed by the man against another child, habitually sodomizing the child between the ages of 6 and 15 years old.
The prolonged events against the victim occurred while the child and the child’s father were guests at the suspect’s home.
His arrest has been continually extended by the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court to deal with the sensitive matter, interrogating the suspect and collecting both photographic and video evidence as well as utilizing investigators specializing in children’s cases.
The Tel Aviv Prosecutor’s Office is expected to file severe charges against the suspect for offenses such as sodomy and indecent acts.