The Awareness Center, Inc. (International Jewish Coaltion Against Sexual Assault): Case of Vitaly Levshin

Case of Vitaly Levshin

Internationally Renown Pianist

Toronto, Canada

Russia

Ukraine

Moldova

Israel

United States of America

Plead guilty of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Toronto boy and making thousands of child-pornography images that he distributed around the world.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.

Table of Contents:

2005

International Child Exploitation Investigation Results in Charges against Toronto Resident (01/25/2005)
T.O. man faces child porn charges (01/25/2005)
T.O. police arrest man on child porn charges (01/25/2005)
Charges for child-porn suspect (01/25/2005)
Worldwide Woe (01/25/2005)
Police probe alleged child exploitation ring (01/26/2005)
Man charged in child-porn probe (01/26/2005)
Israeli nabbed in sex assault, child porn case (01/26/2005)
The piano man and the child prey (01/26/2005)
T.O. police arrest man on child porn charges (01/26/2005)
Israeli pedophilia suspect charged in Canada (01/26/2005)
Guilty plea in sex assault, child porn case (12/05/2005)

2006

Canada extradites Israeli suspected of involvement in pedophilia affair (02/15/2006)

_______________________________________________________________________________

News Releases
International Child Exploitation Investigation Results in Charges against Toronto Resident

(Man wanted in Israel)

Sex Crimes Unit - January 25, 2005 - 10:45 am

416-808-7474

Map of additional suspects and victims:

In October of 2004, Interpol - Jerusalem notified the Toronto Police Service Fugitive Squad that they held a warrant for the arrest of a man now believed to be living in Toronto. The man, identified as Vitaly Levshin, a 46-year-old Israeli Citizen of Ukrainian descent, was wanted in Israel for numerous serious sexual assaults on children, as well as making and distributing child pornography on the Internet dating back to 2000.

It was determined that Levshin came to Canada in 2000 and had been granted Landed Immigrant status (in other words: permanent residency) in Canada. All of the officers' efforts for extradition proceedings, to be initiated by the Israeli authorities, were rejected and denied.

Levshin was tracked down to a North Toronto address, and because of the potential danger to Toronto children, the Child Exploitation Section of the Sex Crimes Unit and 32 Division started a criminal investigation.

Since the authorities in Israel were reluctant to extradite Levshin, the matter was referred to an officer of the Canada Border Services Agency assigned to the TPS Fugitive Squad.

On Monday, November 29, 2004, the CBSA officer attached to the Fugitive team advised that he had obtained an Immigration arrest warrant for Levshin.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, November 30, 2004, Levshin was arrested without incident and a Criminal Code search warrant was executed at his residence in the Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue West area of Toronto. The accused had approximately 3,000 pictures in his possession. About 2,000 of these pictures appear to have been taken by the accused or associates of his from around the world. The pictures involve approximately 25 young boys either posing in various stages of undress, or involved in sex acts with other boys or men, thus constituting child pornography. Several of the victims are believed to be living in Canada, Israel, Ukraine and Russia, but remain unidentified.

Chat logs, emails and documents recovered from the accused's computer reveal that he was exchanging child pornography with men all over the world. The accused and these men had discussions about having sex with children in Canada and elsewhere in the world, and discussed how to bring children into Canada from other parts of the world.

Child pornography pictures of one victim, known only as Pasha, show this child being sexually abused beginning at the age of about 7, and continuing until he was about 16. Some of these pictures were taken in Toronto by the accused when Pasha was in Toronto during the summer months of 2001 and 2002. Investigators also have pictures of other unknown boys, obviously taken in Toronto. (Local landmarks in backgrounds).

Criminal Code charges have now been laid against Levshin in relation to a 10-year-old Toronto victim he knew. Five different assaults took place in 2003 and 2004 in Toronto and Ukraine.

Vitaly Levshin, 46, years, of Toronto, has been charged with:

(1) Sexual Assault

(2) Sexual Interference

(3) Making Child Pornography

(

4) Possession of Child Pornography.

Levshin has been living in the Toronto area since 2000.

He is originally from Ukraine and is believed to have also lived in or travelled to Russia, Moldova, Israel and the United States.

Levshin was active in the Russian and Ukrainian communities in Toronto. He was employed as a pianist and played various venues in the Toronto area. He placed advertisements in Russian-language newspapers seeking to employ young boys to assist with his piano performances.

He has been detained in custody and his next court appearance is a video remand on Thursday, January 27, 2005, 301 Court, North York.

This investigation was a culmination of good police work, excellent teamwork and communication between the TPS Fugitive Squad, the CBSA, the TPS Sex Crimes Unit, Child Exploitation Section and 32 Division YB.

There is no doubt that without this team effort, and the tenacious pursuit of this fugitive, Vitaly Levshin would have continued to perpetrate his horrific crimes on children, not only in Toronto, but around the world through the distribution of child pornography.

Anyone with information regarding Levshin and his activities is asked to contact Detective Constable John Menard of the Child Exploitation Section at 416-808-7985.

Constable Kristine Bacharach, Corporate Communications, for Detective Sergeant Paul Gillespie, Sex Crimes Unit

_______________________________________________________________________________

T.O. man faces child porn charges

Immigrant charged in kiddie-porn ring

Winnipeg Sun, Canada - January 25, 2005

TORONTO (CP) - An Israeli man living in Canada as a landed immigrant has been charged with sexual assault and making child pornography, Toronto police said Tuesday.

Vitaly Levshin, 46, was charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, and making and possessing child pornography after being arrested in November. Authorities say the charges relate to a 10-year- old child in Toronto and five assaults in Toronto and Ukraine over the past two years.

Police searched a home in the city's north end and found thousands of images of about 25 boys posing in various states of undress or involved in sex acts with other boys or men.

The pictures showed one Toronto victim being sexually abused from the age of seven until he was 16, Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie said Tuesday at a news conference.

"We watched this boy grow up," he said. "Some of these pictures were, in fact, taken in Toronto, as we can tell from standard Toronto landmarks in the background, such as the CN Tower."

"Our belief is that boys are brought to Canada for the purpose of having sex with men."

Police believe the victims may be living in Canada as well as Israel, Ukraine and Russia.

Officers say chat logs, e-mails and other documents found on a seized computer show the accused was exchanging child pornography with others around the world.

They say the documents also revealed discussions with others about sex with children and how to bring children into Canada from other parts of the world.

Interpol officers in Jerusalem notified Toronto police in October that they had a warrant for the arrest of a man wanted for numerous sexual assaults on children and making child pornography, police said.

Authorities say Levshin arrived in Canada in 2000 and was granted landed immigrant status, but efforts to start extradition proceedings - which had to be initiated by Israeli authorities - were rejected.

Since Israeli authorities were reluctant to extradite Levshin, the matter was referred to the Canada Border Services Agency, police said.

An officer with the agency obtained an immigration arrest warrant for Levshin in November, and police say he was arrested in Toronto the next day.

About 2,000 of the pictures appear to have been taken either by the accused or his international associates, police said.

Police say Levshin - who worked as a pianist and placed ads seeking young boys to assist him in performances - was originally from Ukraine but is believed to have lived in or travelled to Russia, Moldova, Israel and the United States.

Levshin is in police custody and is to appear via video in a Toronto court on Thursday.

_______________________________________________________________________________

T.O. police arrest man on child porn charges

CTV.ca News Staff - January 25, 2005

Toronto police have arrested a man they allege fled Israel to escape child pornography charges, only to continue his crimes in Canada.

Police say that when 46-year-old Vitaly Levshin came to Canada in 2000, he was granted Landed Immigrant status.

Some four years later, Interpol and Israeli police contacted their Toronto counterparts to say they had tracked Levshin to the Ontario capital.

The Israeli embassy in Ottawa told CTV News that charges were never laid in Israel, because Levshin fled to Canada in the preliminary stages of the investigation. Police there were looking into information related to sexual assaults on children, as well as the online distribution of child pornography.

When Levshin was arrested in November at his north Toronto home, police say they discovered some 3,000 pictures in his possession involving about 25 unidentified boys in various stages of undress or involved in sex acts with other boys and men.

Police also said computer records contain evidence Levshin was exchanging pornography with people around the world.

Levshin was charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, and making and possessing child pornography.

Authorities say the charges relate to a 10-year-old child in Toronto and five assaults in Toronto and Ukraine over the past two years.

Police believe that some of the youths in pictures appear to have been brought to Canada solely for the purpose of having sex with men.

According to Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie, a boy known as Pasha, for example, is seen in a series of photos that date back to the time he was seven-years-old until he was 16.

"We watched this boy grow up," Gillespie told reporters at a briefing Tuesday morning. "Some of these pictures were, in fact, taken in Toronto as we can tell by standard Toronto landmarks such as the CN Tower."

Police say, during the time he's lived in the Toronto area, Levshin advertised in local Russian-language papers for young boys to assist with his professional piano performances.

Anyone with information concerning the accused is asked to contact the Toronto Police Service's Child Exploitation Section at 416-808-7985.

Levshin is scheduled to face charges of sexual assault and sexual interference as well as making and possessing child pornography when he appears in a Toronto court on Thursday.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Charges for child-porn suspect

CBC News - January 25, 2005

TORONTO – Toronto Police have laid charges against an Israeli man arrested last fall on child pornography charges.

The 46-year-old man was arrested in November at his north Toronto home on an immigration arrest warrant.

He was wanted by Israeli police on charges of sexually assaulting children and producing child pornography.

During the raid of his home, investigators found thousands of pornographic images of children.

On Tuesday, police said the suspect has now been charged with sexual assaults on a 10-year-old boy in 2003 and 2004.

The man has been detained in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 27.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Worldwide Woe

Pulse 24 - January 25, 2005

The story behind the alleged porn ring that stretches from Canada to Israel and from Russia to the Ukraine is a tangled web of computers, furtive discussions and bizarre bureaucratic mysteries.

Police both here and in other countries are still trying to sort it all out. But here's what we know so far.

The case seems to have broken in Israel, with an arrest of a man named Shimon Bentov. He's charged with similar offenses to the ones local cops have laid against Toronto newcomer Vitaly Levshin, who they say was an associate of their accused.

When authorities there discovered the extent of Bentov's alleged involvement in child porn, they tried to locate Levshin, only to find he'd already received his papers to stay in Canada.

As the long list of those involved unraveled, new names kept popping up, provided by the emails on the suspects' computers.

Someone named "Anton" is thought to be living in Calgary and may have committed what cops call "a hand's on" crime with the boys. But they have no idea if that's his real name or who he is.

In Russia, three men known only as "Mobius", "Igor" and "Sergei" are being sought. At least one of them runs a child porn site, but all are believed involved in the distribution of the pictures that appear on the site.

They're all linked to at least 22 boys, only a few of who police have able to identify. One of them, Pascha, literally grew up in the lewd photos, and cops know he spent a few summers here, and allege he was abused by Levshin.

The others they've been able to I.D. are called "Pavel", another alleged Toronto victim, and Sascha, said to be Pascha's brother. All are believed to now be living in Moscow and Russian authorities are trying to identify them.

A fourth, "John Doe" is the 10-year-old Toronto boy that police have charged Levshin with abusing.

Police may not know who they all are, but think they've been transported all over the world, with one purpose.

"Our belief is that boys are bring bought to Canada for the purpose of having sex with men," concludes Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie.

But he's not sure exactly how they've been brought into each country - including this one - without anyone detecting what was going on. Gillespie claims the boys apparently reached their destinations with all the proper paperwork, a situation he calls "disturbing".

And he adds one more disgusting detail - boys in Russia are available for only $10, whereas procuring them in Canada costs a lot more.

The massive investigation into unveiling the identities of the victims and the alleged perpetrators continues across the planet.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Police probe alleged child exploitation ring

By Andrew Palamarchuk

Inside Toronto - Jan. 26, 2005

A North York man faces charges and will make a court appearance tomorrow following an international child exploitation investigation, police announced yesterday.

"This is a very large investigation that has taken place around the world and it is absolutely ongoing," said Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie of the sex crimes unit. "We would like to try to determine if in fact there are other victims."

According to police, Interpol notified the Toronto Police Service's fugitive squad in October that they had an arrest warrant for a man believed to be living in Toronto. The man, an Israeli citizen of Ukrainian descent, was wanted in Israel for numerous alleged sexual assaults on children as well as for allegedly making and distributing child pornography.

Police determined the man came to Canada in 2000 and had been granted landed immigrant status.

Det. Jim Muscat said every effort was made "to encourage the authorities to commence extradition proceedings," but it did not happen.

The child exploitation section of the sex crimes unit and North York's 32 Division conducted a criminal investigation.

On Nov. 30, a suspect was arrested without incident and a search warrant was executed at a home in the Bathurst Street and Steeles Avenue area.

Police alleged the suspect had about 3,000 pictures in his possession, including about 2,000 that appear to have been taken by him or his associates. Some pictures allegedly involve about 25 boys either posing in various stages of undress or involved in sex acts with other boys or men.

Several victims have not been identified, but are believed to be living in Canada, Israel, Ukraine and Russia.

Police alleged chat logs, e-mails and documents recovered from a suspect's computer reveal he was exchanging child pornography with men around the world.

A suspect and men allegedly had discussions about having sex with children and discussed how to bring children into Canada.

Gillespie said a thorough examination was done of a computer, but there are still several password-protected files that have not been cracked.

"We're still working on it."

Police said pictures of one victim, known only as Pasha, allegedly show him being sexually abused from age seven to 16.

"Some of these pictures were in fact taken in Toronto as we can tell by standard Toronto landmarks in the background such as the CN Tower," Gillespie told reporters during a news conference at police headquarters yesterday. "It appears to us that this boy was in Toronto as late as 2002. We don't know who he is and we now believe he is living in Russia."

Gillespie said there appears to be a "network" that does not have much difficulty in getting children into Canada. "Our belief is that boys are brought to Canada for the purpose of having sex with men," he said. "This network is managing to facilitate that transportation, get them the appropriate paperwork and get them into Canada."

Police said charges have been laid against a suspect in relation to a 10-year-old he knew.

Police said the accused was employed as a pianist and was active in Toronto's Russian and Ukrainian communities. He placed advertisements in Russian-language newspapers seeking to employ boys to assist with his piano performances.

Vitaly Levshin, 46, has been charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, making child pornography and possession of child pornography.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Man charged in child-porn probe:

10-year-old boy alleged victim, Israeli citizen here since 2000

by TRACY HUFFMAN - CRIME REPORTER

Toronto Star, Canada - Jan. 26, 2005

Photo caption: Vitaly Levshin, 46, faces charges as part of an international child-exploitation probe.

Police are seeking help in an international child-exploitation investigation that led to charges against an Israeli citizen alleged to have sexually assaulted a 10-year-old Toronto boy.

Investigators believe the man, who has lived in Toronto since 2000, made child pornography using at least two dozen boys.

"We are trying to determine if there are other victims. We believe there are," Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie of the sex crimes unit told a news conference at police headquarters yesterday.

So far the charges against the man relate to one alleged victim.

Following the man's arrest on Nov. 30, police seized a computer and other paraphernalia from his home, Gillespie said.

"Three-thousand pictures were recovered ... many involving young boys in various sex acts," he said.

The material includes graphic sexual photographs of children between the ages of 7 and 15, he said.

"We believe some live in Canada," Gillespie said, adding the man has been active in the Russian and Ukrainian communities in Toronto.

Police allege the man, an Israeli of Ukrainian descent, was exchanging child pornography worldwide. Gillespie said he believes some victims are from Russia and at least one has visited Toronto.

"Chat logs, emails and documents recovered from the accused's computer reveal that he was exchanging child pornography with men all over the world," said Det. Jim Muscat. "The accused and these men had discussions about having sex with children in Canada and elsewhere in the world and discussed how to bring children to Canada from other parts of the world."

Toronto police became involved in the investigation after Israeli authorities charged Shimon Bentov in Israel late last year, alleging he committed sexual assaults on children and child-pornography offences. Authorities in Israel were also seeking the man arrested in Toronto in relation to the same charges.

Toronto police acted on the information immediately, and the man was arrested at his home near Bathurst St. and Steeles Ave. W. on an immigration warrant.

He is now charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, making child pornography and possession of child pornography in relation to the 10-year-old boy.

Police allege the man was also involved in assaults on two boys, possibly brothers, who may live in Moscow.

"Child pornography pictures of one victim, known only as Pasha, show this child being sexually abused beginning at the age of about 7 and continuing until he was about 16," Muscat said.

"Some of these pictures were taken in Toronto ... during the summer months of 2001 and 2002.

Investigators also have pictures of other unknown boys obviously taken in Toronto."

During his time in Toronto, the man has worked as a pianist and played several venues.

"He placed advertisements in Russian-language newspapers seeking to employ young boys to assist with his piano performances," Muscat said.

He has also been employed at Aelita Musical Enterprises and the Martha Hicks School of Ballet, both in Toronto, and Pizzazz 'n Jazz VP Dance Studio in Bolton.

Charged is Vitaly Levshin, 46. He will appear in court again tomorrow via a video hookup.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Israeli nabbed in sex assault, child porn case

CP/ Edmonton Sun, Canada - January 26, 2005

TORONTO -- An Israeli man living in Canada as a landed immigrant has been charged with sexual assault and making child pornography, Toronto police said yesterday. Vitaly Levshin, 46, was charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, and making and possessing child pornography, after being arrested in November.

Authorities say the charges relate to a 10-year-old child in Toronto and five assaults in Toronto and Ukraine over the past two years.

Police searched a home in the city's north end and found thousands of images of about 25 boys posing in various states of undress or involved in sex acts with other boys or men.

The pictures showed one Toronto victim being sexually abused from the age of seven until he was 16, Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie said yesterday at a news conference.

"We watched this boy grow up," he said. "Some of these pictures were, in fact, taken in Toronto, as we can tell from standard Toronto landmarks in the background, such as the CN Tower."

"Our belief is that boys are brought to Canada for the purpose of having sex with men."

Police believe the victims may be living in Canada as well as Israel, Ukraine and Russia.

Officers allege chat logs, e-mails and other documents found on a seized computer show it was used to exchange child pornography around the world.

They say the documents also revealed discussions with others about sex with children and how to bring children into Canada from other parts of the world.

An officer with the Canadian Border Services Agency obtained an immigration arrest warrant for Levshin in November, and police say he was arrested in Toronto the next day. Police allege about 2,000 of the pictures appear to have been taken either by the accused or members of an international porn ring.

Police say Levshin - who worked as a pianist and placed ads seeking young boys to assist him in performances - was originally from Ukraine.

Levshin is in police custody and is to appear via video in a Toronto court tomorrow.

_______________________________________________________________________________

The piano man and the child prey

By Jeff Gray

The Globe and Mail, Canada - Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - Page A1

TORONTO -- He once played piano part time at a midtown Toronto ballet school, a quiet Russian-speaking man whose English was shaky and who usually stepped out by himself for a smoke. At other times, he taught children music and enlisted young boys to help him when he performed at parties or events.

But Toronto Police announced yesterday that 46-year-old Ukrainian- born Vitaly Levshin, an Israeli citizen with landed-immigrant status here, has been charged with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Toronto boy and making thousands of child-pornography images that he distributed around the world.

And police allege that Mr. Levshin, who worked or taught in at least three Toronto-area music or dance schools, is part of an international child-pornography network that allegedly has procured fake documents and smuggled children from Russia or other countries into Canada with disturbing ease for sex and for graphic photo shoots.

Investigators believe there are other victims in Toronto, elsewhere in Canada, and in other countries.

"I'm going to call this the tip of the iceberg, because it really is," Detective-Sergeant Paul Gillespie of the Toronto Police child- exploitation unit told reporters yesterday.

He contends Mr. Levshin and his associates had frank on-line discussions about smuggling children into Canada, and that police were just starting to pierce what appeared to be a sophisticated network to circumvent Canadian immigration authorities. He speculated the smugglers may have had inside help.

"How do they do it? . . . Does somebody have an in? What's going on? That's what we're looking into."

None of the allegations against Mr. Levshin, who is in custody and will appear before a judge tomorrow by remote-video remand, have been proven in court.

Police identified three places where they said Mr. Levshin worked or had access to children over the four years they believe he has been in Canada: Aelita Musical Enterprises on Arran Crescent near Bayview Avenue and Steeles Avenue West; Martha Hicks Ballet School near Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue; and the Pizzazz and Jazz VIP Dance Studio in Bolton.

Ms. Hicks said she hired Mr. Levshin to play piano for girls' ballet classes for about 11Æ2 years, finishing in 2002.

She stressed that he was never alone with any of the students. Police contacted her about him in November, but she was confident he had no contact with young boys at her studio.

His English was weak, she said. "I just found him quiet. He was a very accomplished piano player for ballet class," Ms. Hicks said.

It was Interpol, the international policing organization, that brought Mr. Levshin to the attention of the Toronto Police fugitive squad. Interpol told Toronto investigators last October that he had been charged with a long list of sexual offences against children in Israel, including making and distributing child pornography, and that he may be living in Toronto.

Israeli authorities proved reluctant to call for Mr. Levshin's extradition, for reasons that were not clear yesterday, and police here launched an investigation of their own. They tracked him down to a North York high-rise.

The Canadian Border Services Agency, which has a member on the fugitive squad, issued an immigration warrant for his arrest stemming from the Israeli charges on Nov. 29, and police arrested him at a Vaughan address in the early morning hours of Nov. 30.

They also searched his Toronto apartment, seizing several computers and computer disks.

Investigators contend they found close to 3,000 images of child pornography, Det.-Sgt. Gillespie said. "These pictures involve young boys, typically between about 7 and 15 years of age, in various stages of undress, right through to full sex acts with each other and with adult men," Det.-Sgt. Gillespie said.

Police have identified 25 individual boy victims in the pictures, including the 10-year-old Toronto boy identified as John Doe, who they allege was assaulted in Toronto and in Ukraine over a period of two years.

Other boys -- Mr. Levshin allegedly referred to them with the Russian first names Pavel, Pasha and Sasha -- are shown both in Toronto and in other countries.

Pasha, who was here as recently as 2002, appears to have been victimized over eight years, from age 7 to age 15, Det.-Sgt. Gillespie said.

"We watched this boy grow up," he said. "Some of these pictures were in fact taken in Toronto, as we can tell by standard Toronto landmarks in the background, such as the CN Tower."

_______________________________________________________________________________

T.O. police arrest man on child porn charges

Source: CTV.ca

By: Jim Junkin

Computer Crime Research Center, Ukraine - January 26, 2005