Police say suspected serial rapist, now working at girls’ seminary, lured his female employees with promises to help advance their careers
A
man is brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court for suspicion of
sexually assaulting dozens of women he employed, June 12, 2017
A Jerusalem business owner now
working at a girl’s seminary was arrested Sunday on suspicion of raping
dozens of ultra-Orthodox women he employed.
Police
launched an undercover investigation into the suspect last month
following a tip-off by a nonprofit organization that works with rape
victims that had received numerous sexual assault complaints by the
female employees of the 30-year-old advertising manager.
On Monday, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court
approved a police request to search the suspect’s home and office. The
judge ordered the suspect’s name not be released out of consideration
for his victims.
A statement from police spokeswoman Luba Samri
on Monday said an initial investigation revealed the suspect carefully
groomed each of his victims prior to assaulting them. He promised
certain women and girls help in advancing their careers and lavished
them with attention.
After he established a level of trust with his
victims, the suspect routinely assaulted and raped his victims in the
office bathroom of his advertising agency in Jerusalem. Police said he
would also send certain employees home from work early when he knew they
would be alone and then come over and assault them in their homes.
According to the statement, the assaults also
included extortion and threats. The suspect coerced his victims — most
of whom are religiously observant — into silence by threatening to
expose the sexual nature of their relationship to their husbands and
rabbis in their community.
Ultra-Orthodox women at an Israeli high-tech company.
The police statement said the man left the PR firm and now works at a religious seminary for girls in central Israel.
He was arrested on Sunday and brought to the
Oz police station near the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber
for questioning.
He was ordered held in custody until June 18.
Police said the investigation is ongoing, and
have urged other women assaulted by the suspect to file a complaint with
Jerusalem police.