Case of David E. Lipman
(AKA: David Lipman)
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| Rabbi David Lipman - Convicted Sex Offender |
Seattle, WA; Cranston, RI; Prescott, AZ;
Temple Sinai - Cranston, RI
Temple B'rith Shalom - Prescott, AZ
Temple Beth Am - Prescott, AZ
Rabbi David Lipman pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class 2 felony, and three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, Class 3 felonies. Lipman pleaded guilty to pertain to the computer images of children younger than the age of 15.
A grand jury initially indicated Lipman on 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse. These charges stem from an investigation that involved two teen-age girls, 16 and 14.
The plea agreement also mandates lifetime probation and a sex offender registration.
David Lipman ran the internet kiruv website jewishgates.org. He also is the son of former president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR).
There are several people by the name of David Lipman. The individual discussed on this page was born on January 18, 1951.
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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.
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Table of Contents:
Past Work History:
- Rabbi Lipman appointed to Temple (08/16/1996)
- Prescott temple hires new rabbi (05/17/2002)
- Temple B'rith Shalom - Rabbi David Lipman
- Rabbi David Lipman - Gates of Jewish Heritage
2005
- Arrest warrant issued for rabbi in child molestation case (05/27/2005)
- Judge issues felony warrant for rabbi: Faces complaint involving 16 counts of molestation, sex abuse (05/27/2005)
- Police Look For Rabbi (05/27/2005)
- About Rabbi Lipman (05/27/2005)
- Missing Arizona rabbi faces child abuse charges (06/09/2005)
- Letter to the Editor -Fleeing the scene (06/17/2005)
- Phoenix Rabbi Accused Of Sex Abuse (07/0/3/2005)
- Rabbi Missing (07/0/3/2005)
- Facing sex abuse charges, former rabbi is out on bond after turning himself in (07/07/2005)
- Prescott Court Information (07/24/2005)
- Prosecutors seek prison term for Rabbi (08/24/2005)
- Prescott police continue to investigate Rabbi Lipman (12/22/2005)
2006
- Former Rabbi pleads guilty to four felony counts (01/31/2006)
- State of Arizona Public Assess to Court Records (01/31/2006)
- JCN18: Yori Yanover, Rabbi Hershy Worch, Susan L. Rosenbluth, Rabbi Larry Yudelson and Rabbi David Lipman
(03/21/2006)
- Former rabbi gets more than 13 years (03/24/2006)
- Former rabbi sentenced for viewing sexually explicit images (03/24/2006)
- Court Update: Case of Rabbi David Lipman (03/24/2006)
- Prosecutors offer Lipman a plea (04/04/2006)
- Judge gives rabbi lifetime probation (04/15/2006)
- Rabbi serving sentence in child-porn case (04/19/2006)
2012
- Inmate Locator - Rabbi David Lipman (09/30/2012)
Temple B'rith Shalom
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| Rabbi David E. Lipman - Temple B'rith Shalom |
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| Rabbi David Lipman - Gates of jewish Heritage |
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| Rabbi David Lipman - Gates of Jewish Heritage |
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Rabbi Lipman Appointed to Temple
Record - August 16, 1996
Temple Beth Am of Reform Judaism has announced the appointment of Rabbi David Lipman. He will conduct weekly services at the Temple 106 North St. beginning in September.
He studies music and liberal arts at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was graduated sumina cum laude. He also studied at Hebrew Union College and Hebrew University in Israel, was curriculum director and teacher for the Dade Public School Program in Israel.
Rabbi Lipman worked on many achaeological digs in Israel and studied for a semester with Yigael Yadin in Jerusalem. He is currently a third year student at Hebrew Union College in New York City.
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Prescott temple hires new rabbi
By Leisah Namm
http://www.jewishaz.com/jewishnews/020517/prescott.shtml
Temple B'rith Shalom, 2077 Brohner Way, Prescott, AZ 86301-8800, Phone: 928 708 0018
Rabbi David Lipman, Services: Weekly, Friday 7:30 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM.
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| Rabbi David E. Lipman - Sex Offender |
May 17, 2002/Sivan 6, 5762, Vol. 54, No.35
Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott has hired a new rabbi to serve its 157 member families.
Rabbi David E. Lipman, who currently leads a Reform congregation in Cranston, R.I., fills the future gap left by Rabbi William Berkowitz, who will leave the synagogue in June.
Berkowitz has served the congregation for seven years.
Before his arrival, the nearly 25-year-old Reform congregation was led by student rabbis, had about 60 families and didn't have its own building, said president Suzanne Allender.
"(Berkowitz) has been very much involved in and responsible for more than doubling the size of the synagogue, tracking people so that we were able to build a building and enabling us to have much richer programming," Allender said.
B'rith Shalom is the first synagogue in Northern Arizona to have built its own building, which is now four years old, she added.
Berkowitz is also given credit "for improving and strengthening the ties between the Jewish community in Prescott and the wider community," she said. "He's done a terrific job with interacting with the other clergy here in Prescott and having a Jewish voice being heard in the general community.
"In all those ways, he's been a tremendous help to the Jewish community here. We're very sorry to see him leave but we understand that sometimes other things have to take precedence, in this case his family."
As Berkowitz enters this "period of transition," he is "excited about where this may lead," he says.
His short-term plans include remaining in Prescott and attending Temple B'rith Shalom, and he says he will always remember "how nice and friendly and warm and accepting this congregation has been."
The congregation will hold a dinner dance in honor of Berkowitz on June 16 (see Details box).
The congregation currently has weekly Shabbat services, adult education programs, religious school and a sisterhood. About 20-30 member families live part-time in the Phoenix area, Allender said.
Besides serving as rabbi at Temple Sinai in Rhode Island, Lipman is a board member of Jewish Services for the Elderly and the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island, a teacher in a community Jewish high school, a lecturer at Providence Jewish Renaissance and the creator of the Jewish Web site www.jewishgates.org. He was ordained in 1978 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He will move to Prescott with wife (Name Removed).
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Arrest warrant issued for rabbi in child molestation case
Associated Press - May. 27, 2005
PRESCOTT - A felony warrant has been issued for the arrest of a rabbi accused of child molestation and sexual abuse, authorities said.
Yavapai County prosecutors said David Lipman, 55, faces 11 counts of child molestation and five counts of sexual abuse that stem from an investigation involving two girls, ages 16 and 14.
Prescott Justice Court Judge Arthur Markham signed a warrant Thursday for Lipman's arrest.
City police received a call on May 13 from a Child Protective Services employee who reported possible sexual abuse of two girls.
That prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, who admitted to inappropriate touching, according to Prescott Police Det. Robert Peoples.
Lipman was placed on administrative leave Monday from Temple B'rith Shalom, where he has been rabbi since April 2002 of a congregation with about 300 members.
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Judge issues felony warrant for rabbi
Faces complaint involving 16 counts of molestation, sex abuse
By MIRSADA BURIC-ADAM
The Daily Courier - May 27, 2005
PRESCOTT A judge Thursday issued a felony warrant for the arrest of Rabbi David Lipman after the Yavapai County Attorney's Office filed a complaint with 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse against him.
Lipman's wife, however, reported the 55-year-old rabbi missing on Tuesday in the wake of a sexual abuse investigation and his administrative leave from Temple B'rith Shalom in the 2000 block of Brohner Way in Prescott.
Prescott Police Det. Robert Peoples said on Thursday that he received no new information regarding the missing person case.
Deputy Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane said Lipman faces 11 counts of child molestation and five counts of sexual abuse that stem from an investigation involving two teen-age girls, 16 and 14 years of age. Shortly after authorities filed the complaint, Prescott Justice Court Judge Arthur Markham signed a warrant for Lipman's arrest.
Peoples said that all of the charges in the complaint stem from the allegations of inappropriate touching that the older girl reported to authorities because those incidents allegedly occurred in Arizona.
Lipman faces no charges in connection with the allegations that the younger girl made because those alleged incidents took place in another state, said Peoples, who is unaware whether authorities in that state are investigating those allegations.
Peoples said on Monday that his agency received a call on May 13 from a Child Protective Services employee who reported possible sexual abuse of two girls. He said the employee obtained the information from the CPS hotline.
That information prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, which ap-parently revealed that the alleged abuse had been going on for about six to eight years, he said.
"The abuse started with back massages, then Lipman would move his hands to her buttocks, breasts and (private parts)," a PPD report states. "She recalls the touching being under her clothes rather than over her clothes."
When police went to talk to Lipman at his office at the Temple "he admitted to inappropriate touching," Peoples said previously.
"I confronted him about the allegations and what the girl told me and he told me 'the girls are very honest and they don't lie. If they said that it happened, then it happened.'"
In the wake of the allegations, the congregation decided to place Lipman on administrative leave effective this past Monday and pending further notice from the B'rith Shalom board.
Mark Drutz, a member of the congregation and a lawyer with the Musgrove Drutz & Kack law firm who is representing the Temple regarding Lipman's situation, said on Tuesday that "we became aware that there were certain allegations that would have reflected adversely on his ability to lead the Temple B'rith Shalom. Based upon that we elected to place him on administrative leave."
Drutz said Lipman became the rabbi of the congregation (which counts some 300 members] in April 2002.
Before the board hired him, it advertised the position and interviewed a number of prospective candidates. Lipman came from Rhode Island, he said.
"I'm unaware of anything that would have reflected adversely on his qualifications," Drutz said. "Generally the community was satisfied with his services."
On Tuesday, Lipman's wife reported him missing after she had not seen nor heard from her husband since May 20. He came to the house on that day and then left without saying where he was going or where he might be staying, a Prescott Police report states.
She also reported no activity on their bank accounts and that he has not checked his e-mail since May 20, the report states.
The wife also reported that she was concerned about Lipman's welfare, since he has shown signs of depression after the allegations and his leave from the synagogue, the report states.
Lipman is described as 5-foot-9 with brown hair, hazel eyes. He weighs about 210 pounds.
He was driving a plum-colored 1999 Saturn station wagon with an Arizona license plate 827KAJ.
People with information regarding Lipman can call the PPD at 778-1444 or Det. Peoples at 771-5802.
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Police looking for rabbi
Temple places him on leave in wake of sex abuse allegations
By Mirsada Buric-Adam
Prescott Daily Courier - May 27, 2005
PRESCOTT -- The Prescott Police Department is asking the public for help in locating David Eliezer Lipman, the 55-year-old rabbi of Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott, whose family reported him missing on Tuesday.
Lipman's wife told the police that the last time she saw her husband was on Friday and that it was unusual for him not to have contact with his family for an extended period of time, a Police Department report states.
Lt. Pete Hodap said on Tuesday that Lipman's wife reported no activity on his bank accounts.
Meanwhile, the congregation has placed Lipman on administrative leave.
Mark Drutz, a member of the congregation and a lawyer who is representing the Temple regarding recent allegations against Lipman, said "the rabbi has been placed on administrative leave this past Monday, May 23, pending further notice from B'rith Shalom.
"We were aware of certain allegations," he said. "We became aware that there were certain allegations that would have reflected adversely on his ability to lead the Temple B'rith Shalom. Based upon that we elected to place him on administrative leave."
Two teen-age girls reported to the police that Lipman has been touching them inappropriately, according to a police report.
Det. Robert Peoples said on Monday that his agency received a call on May 13 from a Child Protective Services (CPS) employee who reported possible sexual abuse of two girls. He said the employee obtained the information from the CPS hotline.
That information prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, which apparently revealed that the alleged abuse had been going on for about six to eight years, he said. Peoples said he interviewed the older girl, who is now 16, in person at the Police Department. "She talked about back massages to help her to fall asleep," Peoples said, adding that eventually Lipman started fondling her breasts and private areas.
When police went to talk to Lipman at his office in the 2000 block of Brohner Way, "he admitted to inappropriate touching," Peoples said.
"I confronted him about the allegations and what the girl told me and he told me 'the girls are very honest and they don't lie. If they said that it happened then it happened.'"
Peoples said that he recorded the interview and Lipman's admission.
The younger girl, who is now 14 years old and lives in another state with her father, confirmed similar allegations against the rabbi, Peoples said.
According to a Prescott Police report, he admitted that he touched one of the victims on the back and buttocks areas.
"He stated that his touching was inappropriate, but started to be inappropriate only when they lived in Vermont about three to four years ago," the report states. "He states that (the older girl) has made more serious allegations, but he doesn't remember doing these acts."
The older girl told Peoples that Lipman allegedly started to touch her inappropriately eight years ago when they lived in New York, the report states. "The abuse continued when they moved to Rhode Island and in Arizona and happened on a daily basis," the report states. "She recalls the touching being under her clothes rather than over her clothes."
The last time she remembers such an incident happening was about two years ago, the report states. She claimed that the alleged abuse stopped when she was old enough to understand what was going on and she told him to stop, the report states. She also claimed that Lipman was touching her younger sister inappropriately.
The younger girl told Peoples that she remembers him rubbing her back and then moving around to her breasts, the report states. She recalls this happening only once and she told him "no" when he would approach her for a back rub, the report states.
She was unable to establish whether the touching was under or over her clothes, the report states.
Peoples said that he forwarded the report to the county attorney for review of sexual abuse charges against Lipman.
Deputy Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane said that his office received the report on Monday and that the charging unit will still have to review it to determine whether to file any charges against Lipman.
Lipman is described as 5-foot-9 with brown hair and hazel eyes. He weighs about 210 pounds. He was driving a plum-colored 1999 Saturn station wagon with the Arizona license plate 827KAJ.
People with information regarding Lipman can call the PPD at 778-1444 or Det. Peoples at 771-5802.
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About Rabbi Lipman
Temple B'rith Shalom
http://www.geocities.com/ravlipman/rabbispage.htm
Following a six-month nation-wide search, Temple B'rith Shalom selected its new rabbi -David E. Lipman -from a field of nine applicants. Rabbi Lipman, 53, is the second full-time rabbi to serve Prescott's only Jewish house of worship. He succeeds Rabbi William Berkowitz, who led the congregation for seven years. Rabbi Lipman and his wife, have purchased a home in Prescott. They have five children.:
The new rabbi's last pulpit was a Cranston, R.I. congregation with more than 400 members, compared to 150 member families in Prescott. Because of its larger membership in the Rhode Island congregation, professional employees performed many of the rabbi's duties there, such as music by a cantor, religious school by a professional educator, and administration by an office manager. The fact that B'rith Shalom has fewer members is one of the things that attracted the rabbi to Prescott. This enables him to be a hands-on clergyman and to be personally involved in all members' lives and every facet of the Temple.
Rabbi Lipman was born in Seattle, Washington. His father, the late Rabbi Eugene Lipman, was a highly regarded Reform Jewish scholar. The incoming rabbi attended Oberlin College and was ordained following graduation from Hebrew Union College in New York City and Israel. During his many years of study, he also completed the requirements necessary to be a cantor: he possesses a concert quality voice and has increased the amount of music in the weekly services. He also organized and leads a children's choir. Rabbi Lipman possesses a keen sense of humor, intense energy and a love of study and teaching. He is fluent in French, German, Hebrew, and Aramaic. He is learning to speak Yiddish. During his studies in Israel he became involved in archaeology and worked on a number of significant excavations. This led to his ability to understand the Ugaritic language, an extinct alphabet language.
The rabbi is world-renowned for his biblical and Talmudic knowledge. His web site, Gates to Jewish Heritage, www.jewishgates.com, contains more than 15,000 pages of Jewish thought, meticulously organized, which is read by more than 13,000 people daily. Rabbi Lipman says that he is very impressed with Prescott's unique environmental quality, which he believes heightens the depth of religious experience. He adds that he hopes to build on Rabbi Berkowitz's legacy of social conscience and the visibility of Jewish volunteerism that helps make Prescott a better place to live.
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Missing Arizona rabbi faces child abuse charges
By SAM SER
Jerusalem Post - June 9, 2005
Rabbi David E. Lipman has disappeared without a trace from his home and Reform synagogue in Prescott, Arizona, missing since May 20 after two teenage girls from his congregation accused him of fondling them.
Prescott police have no leads on the whereabouts of Lipman, who is reported to be proficient in several languages and who spent time in Israel during his studies at Hebrew Union College. Neither he nor his plum-colored 1999 Saturn station wagon has turned up, police said.
"We have contacted immigration, we have contacted this border patrol, we have contacted the FBI," public information officer Lt. Pete Hodap told The Jerusalem Post. "We have not located him, and we have no idea at this point where he is. We worry that he may be where you are," Hodap said, referring to Israel. "And [suicide] is always a possibility..."
It was Lipman's wife who reported him missing nearly three weeks ago. Days earlier he had been approached at Temple B'rith Shalom by police investigating a complaint from Child Protection Services regarding the older of the two girls.
"The abuse started with back massages, then Lipman would move his hands to her buttocks, breasts and (private parts)," according to a Prescott Police Department report. "She recalls the touching being under her clothes rather than over her clothes."
The behavior was allegedly repeated over a period of time, with both girls.
Lipman admitted to at least some of the allegations, Hodap told the Post. He said Lipman told Detective Robert Peoples, "'The girls are very honest and they don't lie. If they said that it happened, then it happened.'"
The rabbi was not taken into custody or served an arrest warrant, however, on the advice of the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. Instead, the county suggested that police issue a "long-form complaint," a less formal summons.
A felony warrant was later issued for Lipman's arrest on 11 counts of child molestation and five counts of sexual abuse of the girls, aged 16 and 14, respectively.
The story has taken a toll on the small Jewish community of Prescott, a city of 35,000 situated between Phoenix and Las Vegas. The 175-family congregation of Temple B'rith Shalom completed its permanent building for the synagogue only a few years ago, after two decades of holding services in members' homes and rented facilities.
Speaking on behalf of the temple, congregant Mark Drutz, an attorney, told the Post that the revelation of Lipman's behavior was a "devastating blow to the community, because it was a betrayal of trust. He was the spiritual leader for the Jewish community in the area, the spokesman for the Jewish community.
"A story like this gets a lot of publicity in a smaller community," he added. "When this happens in this kind of area, where there aren't a lot of Jews, it gets a lot of media attention. It's a black eye for the Jewish community for something like this to happen."
Lipman, 55, is but the second full-time rabbi employed by the congregation. The pulpit he held before joining Temple B'rith Shalom in 2002 was a slightly larger synagogue in Cranston, Rhode Island, where congregants "were absolutely shocked" to hear of Lipman's troubles in Arizona, according to an administrator there.
At Temple B'rith Shalom, Lipman served as cantor and led a children's choir in addition to his duties as rabbi. He also ran the Web site www.jewishgates.com, and is said to be energetic and charismatic.
Lipman is also the son of the late Rabbi Eugene Lipman, a former head of the Central Conference of American Rabbis who, during his service as a chaplain in the US Army at the end of World War II, cared for concentration camp survivors and rescued a megila (Scroll of Esther) from Theresienstadt.
Phone calls placed by the Post to Lipman's home, where his wife and (Removed) children – including girls the same age as the complainants – live, went unanswered. Drutz said they were in the process of moving to the east coast.
The synagogue has been left in a quandry. The temple congregants held a "town hall" meeting two weeks ago to address their concerns, and to hear from rabbis sent from Los Angeles on ways to deal with the situation, Drutz said. They have received support from other clergy in the area as well, he said.
Lipman, meanwhile, has simply disappeared. There has been no activity in Lipman's bank account, police said. His passport has been "flagged" in case he tries to leave the United States, but so far there has been no notification of any such attempt.
"If he left the country, we should have gotten a hit on his passport... unless he left before we got that into the computer," said Hodap. "Hopefully, he'll turn up."
Religious functions at Temple B'rith Shalom are continuing with some help from the previous rabbi, who has since pursued a career in a different field, Drutz said, but the congregants' emotional healing will take some time.
"My own daughter, who is 10, was attending bat mitzvah lessons with the rabbi to learn Hebrew," said Drutz. "My wife told her that the rabbi was ill and that we did not expect him to return... but obviously, he needs some help that is beyond the capacity of the congregation to give him."
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Readers' Letters
Fleeing the scene
The Jerusalem Post, Opinion - June 17, 2005
Sir - Re "Missing Arizona rabbi faces child abuse charges" (June 9): I wanted to thank Sam Ser and The Jerusalem Post for writing this article. As I'm sure you are aware it's not uncommon for individuals accused of sexual crimes to flee the community where the accusations have been made. Unfortunately many from Jewish communities tend to flee to Israel to avoid prosecution. We have also seen a trend in which those who end up in Israel change their names to avoid detection.
My hope is that Rabbi David E. Lipman will soon be found alive and well and able to face the charges being brought against him.
Vicki Polin, Executive Director
The Awareness Center: Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault
Baltimore
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Phoenix Rabbi Accused Of Sex Abuse
By Deborah Sussman Susser, Special to the Jewish Times
Baltimore Jewish Times - July 03, 2005
(Phoenix, Ariz) Police have few leads in the search for an Arizona rabbi accused of sexually abusing two teenaged girls.
Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott, Ariz., is quietly carrying on without Rabbi David Lipman, who was reported missing by his family May 24, shortly after the allegations surfaced.
Lt. Pete Hodap of the Prescott Police Department said police have contacted immigration authorities "to make sure that (Lipman) hasn't left the country."
"We're trying to put a flag on his passport," Hodap said, "to hopefully keep him from leaving the country, if that's what his thoughts are."
Detective Robert Peoples said June 14 that there were "no leads yet."
"No news," Peoples said, "don't know where he is, no one's talking, no one knows, apparently. Unfortunately."
According to Yavapai County's The Daily Courier, two girls aged 16 and 14 told police Lipman had been touching them inappropriately.
Peoples said his department received a call May 13 from a Child Protective Services employee who reported possible sexual abuse of the girls. The call prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, who "admitted to inappropriate touching," Peoples said.
B'rith Shalom placed Lipman on administrative leave May 20 and terminated his employment effective May 27.
Lipman, 55, was hired in the spring of 2002 and moved to Prescott from a position in Rhode Island. He was only the second full-time rabbi to serve Prescott's only Jewish house of worship.
Lipman is the son of Rabbi Eugene Lipman, who was president of the Reform Movement's Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1987-1989. He and his wife, (NAMES REMOVED) children.
Mark Drutz, an attorney and B'rith Shalom member who has been acting as spokesman for the temple, said lay services are being offered on Shabbat, and that the temple's prior rabbi is helping out.
The congregation is receiving institutional support from organizations such as the Union for Reform Judaism, and members of other religions have called to offer assistance.
Drutz told the Jewish News that the situation is "devastating, but the congregation is strong, and it will survive and move forward."
The Prescott Police Department has requested that anyone with information regarding Lipman's whereabouts call the department at (928) 778-1444 or Detective Peoples at (928) 771-5802.
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Rabbi Missing
The Awareness Center - July 3, 2005
Rabbi David Lipman is described as 5-foot-9 with brown hair, hazel eyes. He weighs about 210 pounds.He was driving a plum-colored 1999 Saturn station wagon with an Arizona license plate 827KAJ. People with information regarding Lipman can call the PPD at (928) 778-1444 or Det. Peoples at (928) 771-5802.
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Facing sex abuse charges, former rabbi is out on bond after turning himself inBy MIRSADA BURIC-ADAM
The Daily Courier - Thursday, July 07, 2005
PRESCOTT – Five weeks after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with a sexual abuse investigation involving minors, David Lipman, a 55-year-old former rabbi of Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott, turned himself in to the authorities and is now out of jail on a bond.
Lipman's attorney, Billy Hicks, said on Wednesday that his client turned himself in to the court a week ago and at that time he appeared before Justice of the Peace Arthur Markham, who initially signed the warrant for his arrest.
"I went to court with him and we turned him in to the court," he said. "At that time the judge set a bond of $200,000 and later that day he bonded out" of the jail.
Prior to the judge issuing a warrant for Lipman's arrest, the Yavapai County Attorney's Office filed a complaint alleging 11 counts of child molestation and five counts of sexual abuse that stem from an investigation that involved two girls, 16 and 14.
Prescott Police Det. Robert Peoples said previously that all the charges in the complaint stem from the allegations of inappropriate touching that the older girl reported to authorities because those incidents allegedly happened in Arizona.
Police received a call from a Child Protective Services employee on May 13 who reported the possible sexual abuse of the two girls, Peoples said.
That information prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, which apparently revealed that the alleged abuse had been going on for about six to eight years, he said.
"The abuse started with back massages, then Lipman would move his hands to her buttocks, breasts and (private parts)," a PPD report states. "She recalls the touching being under her clothes rather than over her clothes."
When police went to talk to Lipman at his office at the Temple, "he admitted to inappropriate touching," Peoples said.
"I confronted him about the allegations and what the girl told me and he told me 'the girls are very honest and they don't lie. If they said that it happened, then it happened.'"
In the wake of the allegations, the congregation placed Lipman on administrative leave on May 23 and then, four days later, after the county attorney filed an official complaint with charges against Lipman, it severed his employment relationship with the temple completely.
Mark Drutz, a member of the congregation and a lawyer with the Musgrove Drutz & Kack law firm who is representing the temple regarding Lipman's situation, said, "As of May 27, we terminated and rescinded the employment contracts with the rabbi.
"We made the decision that was in the best of interest of Temple B'rith Shalom to terminate the employment relationship based upon these facts which had come to light," Drutz added.
He said the congregation is going to use interim rabbis until it hires a permanent rabbi and is now working with the United Reform congregation group in Los Angeles.
He said he doesn't believe that the pervious rabbi, William "Billy" Berkowitz, whom Lipman replaced in April 2002, is interested in a full-time position as a rabbi.
"I think he has done a life change but he has been very gracious and has filled in for certain events," Drutz said.
After his dismissal from the Temple, Lipman's wife reported him missing on May 24 after she had not heard from him for a few days.
Hicks said he doesn't know where his client was prior to deciding to turn himself in to the authorities.
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Prescott court information
http://www.searchsystems.net/forward.php?id=4dc4aa200971361e043ceb486df5c118&nid=70
(takes a few minutes to start up, click on "Click here for our Public Access to Court Information " and then search by last name = Lipman)
CASE DETAIL
Case Number: P-1300-CR-20050790
Case Category: Criminal
Case Title: ST V LIPMAN
Court: Yavapai County Superior Judge: WILLIAM T. KIGER Filing Date: 07/06/2005 Disposition Date:
Party Name: DAVID E LIPMAN Party Type: D 1 - DEFNDT/RESPNDT
Date of Birth: 01/18/1950
Citation: CNONE
Count 1: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 2: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 3: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 4: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 5: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 6: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 7: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 8: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 9: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 10: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 11: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 12: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 13: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition: :
Count 14: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 15: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 16: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Party Name: STATE OF ARIZONA Party Type: P 1 - PLNTIF/PETITNER Date of Birth:
Event Date Event Description Party
7/19/2005 ORDER ASSIGNING MATTER TO D 1
7/14/2005 ORDER ASSIGN TO PRESIDING JDGE D 1
7/14/2005 ORDER VACATING D 1
7/14/2005 NOTICE OF APPEARANCE D 1
7/13/2005 SUPPLEMENTAL DISC BY STATE P 1
7/12/2005 NOTICE OF CHANGE OF JUDGE P 1
7/7/2005 RULE 12.10 NOTICE/5/8 NOTICE D 1
7/7/2005 ORDER SETTING CASE MGMT CONF D 1
7/7/2005 TRANSMITTAL CERTIFICATE FROM D 1
7/7/2005 ORDER ASSIGNING MATTER TO D 1
7/7/2005 EARLY DISPOSITION HEARING D 1
7/6/2005 NOT SUPERVENING INDICTMENT D 1
7/6/2005 INDICTMENT D 1
7/6/2005 GRAND JURY RETURN HEARING D 1
7/6/2005 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT P 1
COURT CONTACT INFORMATION
Court Name: Yavapai County Superior
Street Address: County Courthouse, 120 S Corte, Prescott, AZ 86301
Mailing Address: Clerk of the Superior Court County Courthouse, 120 S Corte, Prescott, AZ 85002-5650
Telephone: (928)771-3312
Also see: Jewish Whistleblower
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Prosecutors seek prison term for Rabbi
By Mirsada Buric - Adam
The Daily Courier - August 24, 2005
PRESCOTT – The state of Arizona is seeking a mandatory prison term for Rabbi David Lipman, although the victim and the victim's mother do not want him to go to prison.
Unable to agree on the terms of a plea agreement, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge William Kiger set a trial date on Tuesday for the former rabbi of Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott.
The six- to seven-day trial will commence on Feb. 8, 2006.
A grand jury indicted Lipman on 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse. These charges stem from an investigation that involved two girls, age 16 and 14.
Prosecutor Bill Hughes said after the hearing, which Kiger conducted in his chambers, that the mother had said previously that her daughter, who is now 17 and is attending an out-of-state college, didn't wish to testify against the rabbi.
"We can subpoena her if we need to," Hughes said, adding that it looks unlikely that the state and the defense will find a resolution.
Lipman's attorney, Billy Hicks, said, "I truly do not know if we will be able to resolve it short of trial."
"The mother and the daughter do not want him to go to prison," he added.
The defense is seeking a probation-eligible plea at this point, Hicks said.
Lipman, 55, turned himself in to the authorities in early July, five weeks after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
The same day, he posted a $200,000 bond to get out of jail.
PPD Det. Robert Peoples said previously that all the charges in the complaint that the Yavapai County Attorney's Office filed stem from the allegations of inappropriate touching that the older girl reported to authorities. Those incidents allegedly happened in Arizona.
The PPD received a call from a Child Protective Services employee on May 13 who reported the possible sexual abuse of the two girls, Peoples said.
That information prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, which apparently revealed that the alleged abuse was ongoing for about six to eight years, he said.
When police went to talk to Lipman at his office at the Temple in Prescott, "he admitted to inappropriate touching," Peoples said.
However, police didn't arrest him at that time. In the midst of the investigation and prior to the County Attorney's Office filing a complaint with 16 felony counts, Lipman's wife reported him missing in late May.
Hicks said previously that he didn't know where his client was prior to his arrest.
In the wake of allegations, the congregation terminated Lipman's employment on May 27 after it briefly placed him on administrative leave.
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Prescott police continue to investigate Rabbi Lipman
by Mirsada Buric-Adam mburicadam@prescottaz.com
The Daily Courier (Prescott, Arizona) - December 22, 2005, page 5A
Former Rabbi David Lipman may face additional charges in connection with sexually explicit images that authorities allegedly retrieved from the computer he was using at Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott.
"There are thousands of images," said Prescott Police Det. Robert Peoples.
He said that he sent the evidence to a Department of Public Safety expert to pull the most incriminating images off the hard drive and record them onto a disk.
Once that is done, he said, the state might file additional charges against Lipman.
A grand jury indicted Lipman on 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse. The charges stem from an investigation that involved two teen-age girls, 16 and 14.
Lipman, 55, turned himself into authorities in early July, five weeks after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
The same day his wife posted a $200,000 bond to get him out of the jail.
Peoples confiscated the hard drive after a man - whom the temple hired to clean and reset a computer that Lipman used for the new rabbi - reported to the police that he found movie clips of young naked females and other images of sadomasochism, according to an affidavit for a search warrant.
One of the movie clips allegedly showed people beating and raping prisoners.
In the affidavit, Peoples stated that "It has been your affiant training and experience that shows individuals that engage in such acts as sexual abuse also view child pornography and typically save these images for their own sexual gratification."
Peoples said on Wednesday that he had to obtain a search warrant to get into the hard drive.
In addition, the police received a typed document with incriminating statements in which the author stated, "I regret to inform you that over the past several years I have touched (the victim) inappropriately."
The affidavit does not identify who wrote the letter.
Peoples said that Mark Drutz, a lawyer representing the Temple, gave polce the document after staff found it in Lipman's former office.
In the affidavit, Peoples stated that it is possible to retrieve the document from the hard drive if the author wrote it on the computer that the police confiscated.
Lipman's lawyer, Billy Hicks, declined to comment on the new evidence that the state collected against his client.
He said he is unsure whether the parties will be able to reach a non-trial resolution, which a judge set for Feb. 8. On Aug. 23, the state's position was that the matter is headed for trial.
Hicks said his client is currently undergoing metal health treatment in an out-of-state facility.
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Former Rabbi pleads guilty to four felony counts
By Mirsada Buric-Adam
The Prescott Daily Courier (AZ) - January 31, 2006
Prescott - Former Rabbi David Lipman faces mandatory prison punishment after he pleaded guilty Monday to four felony counts that pertain to sexually explicit images police retrieved from the computer he used at Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott.
The plea agreement resolves on of the two felony cases pending before the Yavapai County Superior Court against the 56-year-old defendant.
A grand jury initially indicated Lipman on 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse. These charges stem from an investigation that involved two teen-age girls, 16 and 14.
The indictment pertaining to the computer images came about recently. The Prescott Police Department (PPD) confiscated the hard drive after a man - whom the temple hired to clean and reset a computer that Lipman used for the new rabbi - reported to the police that he found movie clips of young naked females and other images of sadomasochism, according to an affidavit for a search warrant.
One of the movie clips allegedly showed people beating and raping prisoners.
Prosecutor Bill Huges said that Lipman pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class 2 felony, and three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, Class 3 felonies.
He said the charges that Lipman pleaded guilty to pertain to the computer images of children younger than the age of 15.
The prison term range for a Class 2 felony is between 10 and 24 years, with a presumptive term of 17 years, Hughes said.
"They have to be consecutive and the judge has to send him to prison on one of the four counts," Hughes said.
The plea agreement also mandates lifetime probation and a sex offender registration.
Hughes said the state may settle the older case with a probation - eligible plea, depending on the sentence Lipman receives in the new case.
The trial in the older case is set to start on Feb. 8.
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State of Arizona Public Assess to Court Records
Supreme Court of Arizona - January 31, 2006
http://www.supreme.state.az.us/publicaccess/search.asp
CASE DETAIL
Case Number: J-0302-TR-200301158
Case Category: Traffic
Case Title: ST OF AZ VS LIPMAN DAVID E
Court: Williams Justice Judge: HONORABLE BILL SUTTON JR
Filing Date: 04/18/2003 Disposition Date: 05/15/2003
Party Name: DAVID E LIPMAN
Party Type: D 1 - DEFNDT/RESPNDT
Date of Birth: 01/18/1950
Citation: D02735099 Count 1: LOCAL CHARGE Disposition Date: 05/15/2003
Disposition: PLEA GUILTY/RESP SENT IMPOSED
Event Date Event Description Party
9/23/2005 PURGE D 1
5/15/2003 FUND: CRIM/TRAF ENHANCE FEE D 1
5/15/2003 DOCKET INFORMATION D 1
5/15/2003 FUND: 2002 PROBATION SURCHARGE D 1
5/15/2003 FUND: BASE FINE D 1
5/15/2003 FUND: 2002 SURCHARGES (80%) D 1
4/18/2003 COMPLAINT FILED-UNIFORM CITATN D 1
------------------------------
CASE DETAIL
Case Number: P-1300-CR-20050790
Case Category: Criminal
Case Title: ST V LIPMAN
Court: Yavapai County Superior Judge: WILLIAM T. KIGER
Filing Date: 07/06/2005 Disposition Date:
Party Name: DAVID E LIPMAN Party Type: D 1 - DEFNDT/RESPNDT
Date of Birth: 01/18/1950
Citation: CNONE Count 1: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 2: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 3: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 4: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 5: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 6: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 7: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 8: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 9: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 10: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 11: MOLESTATION OF CHILD Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 12: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 13: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 14: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 15: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Count 16: SEXUAL ABUSE Disposition Date: Disposition:
Party Name: STATE OF ARIZONA Party Type: P 1 - PLNTIF/PETITNER
Date of Birth:
Event Date Event Description Party
1/26/2006 STIP FOR SUBST OF COUNSEL D 1
1/26/2006 ORDER SETTING STATUS CONFERENC D 1
1/26/2006 ORDER SUBSTITUTING D 1
1/10/2006 NOTICE OF P 1
1/10/2006 LIST OF WITNESSES/EXHIBITS P 1
1/10/2006 REQUESTED JURY INSTRUCTIONS P 1
1/10/2006 REPORTERS TRANSCRIPT FILED
11/21/2005 TRANSMITTAL CERTIFICATE FROM D 1
11/2/2005 SUPPLEMENTAL DISC BY STATE P 1
10/25/2005 SUPPLEMENTAL DISC BY STATE P 1
8/24/2005 APPEARANCE BOND POSTED (CASH) D 1
8/23/2005 ORDER SETTING TRIAL D 1
8/23/2005 STATUS CONFERENCE D 1
8/17/2005 ORDER DENYING D 1
8/16/2005 MOTION TO CONTINUE D 1
8/8/2005 CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE D 1
8/2/2005 TRNSCRPT OF GRND JRY PRCDNGS D 1
7/21/2005 ORDER SETTING CASE MGMT CONF D 1
7/19/2005 ORDER ASSIGNING MATTER TO D 1
7/14/2005 NOTICE OF APPEARANCE D 1
7/14/2005 ORDER VACATING D 1
7/14/2005 ORDER ASSIGN TO PRESIDING JDGE D 1
7/13/2005 SUPPLEMENTAL DISC BY STATE P 1
7/12/2005 NOTICE OF CHANGE OF JUDGE P 1
7/7/2005 TRANSMITTAL CERTIFICATE FROM D 1
7/7/2005 ORDER ASSIGNING MATTER TO D 1
7/7/2005 RULE 12.10 NOTICE/5/8 NOTICE D 1
7/7/2005 EARLY DISPOSITION HEARING D 1
7/7/2005 ORDER SETTING CASE MGMT CONF D 1
7/6/2005 GRAND JURY MINUTES - SEALED D 1
7/6/2005 DISCLOSURE STATEMENT P 1
7/6/2005 INDICTMENT D 1
7/6/2005 NOT SUPERVENING INDICTMENT D 1
7/6/2005 GRAND JURY RETURN HEARING D 1
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JCN18: Yori Yanover, Rabbi Hershy Worch, Susan L. Rosenbluth, Rabbi Larry Yudelson and Rabbi David Lipman
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Abuse Speak Out - March 21, 2006
A friend sent the following note:
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| Rabbi Larry Yudelson |
I had not realized until I saw this listing at the Jewish Press Association website that the Jewish Voice used to be associated with JCN18 which is Yori Yanover and Larry Yudelson's former on-line publication that had convicted child molester Rabbi David Lipman working there. Rabbis Hershy Worch was also contributors.
The Jewish Voice & Opinion (A )
73 Dana Pl
Englewood, NJ 07631
Susan L. Rosenbluth - Pub/Ed
201-569-2845
FAX: 201-569-1739
WEB: www.jcnl8.com/jewish_voice/
The
Jewish Voice & Opinion is an 11-year-old monthly news magazine
reaching by mail approximately 15,000 observant-Jewish households
throughout the Metropolitan area. Mailed on the Friday before the first
Shabbos of each month. In New Jersey, we reach the Orthodox communities
in Fort Lee, Englewood, Teaneck, Bergenfield, Paramus, Tenafly, Fair
Lawn, Passaic, Clifton, the Oranges, Livingston, Springfield, Elizabeth,
Hillside, North Bergen, Secaucus, Morristown, Aberdeen/Matawan,
Highland Park, Edison, The Brunswicks and others. We reach families in
neighboring Rockland County, NY, plus New York City. We accept
advertisements from establishments wishing to reach our very special
readers, providing they are kosher and meet Orthodox rabbinic kashruth
standards.
***************
Here's another photograph of Yori
Yanover. It was published on his blog some time ago as an "alleged"
threat to an individual who advocates for the rights of survivors of
sexual violence. He has since taken the threat down but the photo can
also be found here.
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Former rabbi gets more than 13 yearsBy MIRSADA BURIC
Prescott Daily Courier - March 25, 2006
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| Rabbi David Lipman - Convicted Sex Offender |
PRESCOTT - Sentencing him to a mitigating prison term of 13-and-a-half years on Friday for viewing sexually explicit images of young children on his computer, a judge agreed with the state that former Rabbi David Lipman violated his position of trust.
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge William Kiger said that the victims include not only children portrayed in the computer images, but his family and members of his congregation.
"That is a very deep violation of trust," Kiger said.
Lipman, 56, received 13-and-a-half years in prison for one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, a Class 2 felony, and lifetime probation for three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, Class 3 felonies, which he'll start to serve upon his release from custody. He also has to register as a sex offender.
The charges stem from images that the police downloaded from Lipman's computer while he worked at Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott.
He also faces 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse charges in connection with an investigation that involves two teen-age girls, 16 and 14, which could resolve soon with a probation-eligible plea.
During Friday's hearing, the defense called four witnesses to testify on behalf of the defendant.
Lipman's ex-wife, Linda Cahn, who practices law in New Jersey, said that she felt compelled to testify because the state left out many facts about his life when it offered him a plea.
Cahn described Lipman's work at three synagogues in New York as very dynamic.
"He was an extraordinary rabbi who was very involved with his congregation," she said, adding that Lipman is extremely smart and knows an enormous amount of information. "He has an encyclopedic amount of data in his brain."
Cahn said Lipman had an extraordinary impact on children of all ages.
"He was very, very involved with kids," Cahn said, and through a hands-on experience he taught them about Israel, its history and traditions as well as about Judaism.
"He was well liked and well regarded by members of his congregation," she said.
She said Lipman interacted with thousands of children during their marriage and she never heard a complaint or saw him acting inappropriately around them.
Of the charges involving computer images, she said, "Rabbi's computer is a private matter. It didn't impact anybody at that synagogue."
Lipman said that he is guilty of the charges and takes full responsibility for his actions. He said that for the first time in his life he is receiving treatment for a mental illness that the abuse in his early life has caused.
He said that he hopes he'll be able to overcome his sexual distortions and reconcile with his family.
Asking for a sentence of no more than 12 years, Lipman's attorney, John Trebon, said that his client is not a pedophile and that he suffers from anxiety and attachment disorders, which are treatable.
"If you are going to judge the man, you cannot forget his life," he said. "He dedicated his life to community service."
However, Prosecutor Bill Hughes asked Kiger to impose a presumptive term of 17 years because "I believe he is a danger to the community," he said.
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Former rabbi sentenced for viewing sexually explicit images
Associated Press - March 24, 2006
PRESCOTT, Ariz. A former rabbi was sentenced to more than a dozen years in prison for viewing sexually explicit images of young children on his computer.Fifty-six-year-old former Rabbi David Lipman received a 13-and-a-half-year sentence for one charge of sexual exploitation of a minor and lifetime probation for three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. He also has to register as a sex offender.
The charges stem from images that the police downloaded from Lipman's computer while he worked at a temple in Prescott.
He also faces 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse charges in an investigation that involves two teenage girls.
At Lipman's sentencing on Friday, Yavapai County Superior Court Judge William Kiger said Lipman violated his position of trust.
Lipman says he takes responsibility for his actions and he hopes he'll be able to overcome his sexual distortions.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Court Update: Case of Rabbi David Lipman
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speak Out - March 24, 2006
The following is from an individual who attended the sentencing hearing of Rabbi David Lipman
As promised, here is what happened in court on Friday, March 24, 2006 on the case of Rabbi David Lipman.
They court kind of rolled the charged of the sexual abuse of two teenage girls in with the charge of pornography.
First of all, the defense called Lipman's ex-wife to the stand. She came here from out east somewhere. She is an attorney. She testified about how great Lipman is and what wonderful works he did. They were married in 1975, separated in 1992 and divorced in 1995 or 1996 (she couldn't remember the exact year).
The ex-wife testified about how he took 10th graders to Israel for 6 weeks every summer and she went on some of those trips. When the prosecutor asked if Lipman had abused any other family members, she seemed to hesitate before she answered. She said she never heard any allegations of sexual abuse to the children he taught or counseled. The defense attorney brought up the psycho-sexual evaluation and it showed that Lipman had a sexual preference for 14-17 year old children.
Next, the executive director of the People Who Care program spoke. The program helps people in need, such as providing rides to the doctor, for groceries, other social type services, etc. It also runs the Interfaith program. She said he showed up at meetings when a lot of other clergy did not and he spoke to legislators to get various laws changed. She said he is wonderful, but has a mental health problem that needs to be dealt with.
Next, a congragant spoke (a male). He said he is an atheist or an agnostic, but he liked Lipman and said that he is an incredible man. Someone, and it may have been this man, said Lipman is like a walking encyclopedia. (He has a photographic memory.)
A female congregant then spoke and she, too, said how wonderful Lipman is. She said that since the first allegations arose, he lost weight and his voice has changed. (Remember he was missing for 5 weeks. That is when he lost the weight. He was also clean shaven in court.) The woman said he is more rational since his treatment and alluded to the fact he was suicidal before the treatment. She thinks mental illness is involved and he is trying to deal with it.
The judge asked if there was anyone else to speak and they asked that Lipman's present wife speak on behalf of the two teenage girls. This caught everyone by surprise, so there was a 5 minute recess so the attorney could talk with her.
During the recess, the male congregant that spoke was speaking to someone and he couldn't understand why there was a problem with Lipman viewing child pornography....after all....it wasn't hurting anyone. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
His present wife spoke on behalf of the teenage girls and said the older teen feels guilty that she ever said anything and all of this came about.
At one point, the prosecutor said that Lipman should be punished and jailed and his present wife shook her head with a vehement no.
The defense attorney then spoke and said the sentence for this type of crime is 10-24 years and Lipman was willing to serve 12 years so that the teenage girls did not have to testify. He said his profile shows a low recidivism rate and that the Able assessment that the prosecutor talked about always shows a reaction from men when shown the prepubescent pictures. He said Lipman had avulsion therapy. He said he is not a pedophile and Lipman wants probation. The defense attorney said that Lipman suffered trauma for a substantial period of time as a child.
Lipman went through the River Oaks Psychiatric Hospital in January and just got out last week.
Lipman read a statement saying he had remorse. He said the abuse had been festering in him and he acted out on it and has also had multiple partners. He said he is in a 12 step program. He plans to write another couple of books, is in a 12 step program, and hopes to resume a loving relationship with his wife when he gets out of jail.
The judge spoke and said that this man had a lot to offer, is intelligent, has done good works, etc, but that he does have to pay for his crime. He said it showed how well he was liked by the people that turned out today. (The judge will get a letter from me saying he made a big presumption!)
He was sentenced to 13 1/2 years in jail, starting today. He has no credit for time served. When he has served his term, he will be on lifetime probation, which will cost him $75 per month. The probation came with stipulations, such as no drinking or drugs, etc. He will also be listed as a lifetime sexual predator.
Although we would have liked to see a stiffer penalty, we are happy he did not just get probation.
On April 3, they will have another hearing which it sounds like will roll the child sexual abuse charges into this and there will be no further sentencing.
I think the prosecutor felt they did not have a solid enough case on the child abuse charges because the two teenage girls did not want to testify.
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Prosecutors offer Lipman a plea
By Mirsada Buric
The Daily Courier (Prescott, AZ) - April 4, 2006
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| Rabbi David Lipman - convicted Sex Offender |
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Judge gives rabbi lifetime probation
By MIRSADA BURIC
The Daily Courier - April 14, 2005
PRESCOTT - An articulate letter from the victim pleading with the court not to sentence former Rabbi David Lipman to prison for molesting her warranted him lifetime intensive probation on Thursday.
Yavapai County Superior Court Judge William Kiger said in his 12-year career as a judge he hasn't dealt with a more unusual and difficult case.
After listing all mitigating factors, Kiger read portions of the letter in which the victim said, "Don't punish me Ũ by sending (the defendant) to jail."
She said sending Lipman to prison would make her regret that she ever came forward with the accusations against him.
"I have never had this articulate presentation," Kiger said, explaining how the court has to listen to what the victim has to say in addition to fulfilling societal expectations when deciding "what is the just and right thing to do."
Kiger found that the mitigating circumstances outbalance the aggravating factors although he cited that Lipman's conduct with the victim was "a severe betrayal of trust" that lasted over a long period of time.
He said the betrayal caused severe harm that will take a long time to undo.
Before the sentencing, Lipman accepted the state's plea agreement pleading guilty to three Class 3 felonies of attempted molestation of a child and two Class 5 felonies of sexual abuse.
The conviction stems from an investigation that involved a 16-year-old girl who told the police that Lipman was giving her back massages to help her to fall asleep.
Lipman admitted on Thursday that he gave the victim backrubs on numerous occasions. Deputy Yavapai County Attorney Bill Hughes added that the 56-year-old defendant also attempted to touch her in the private area, after which Kiger found factual basis for the plea.
Although the defendant waived his right to have a pre-sentence report and a pre-sentence hearing and wanted to proceed immediately with the sentencing, Kiger told the defendant that he had not made up his mind about the punishment and wanted to schedule the sentencing at a later date. After a brief recess, however, the parties proceeded with the sentencing.
Although the state offered Lipman a probation-eligible plea, Hughes asked the judge to impose additional prison time consecutive to the sentence he is already serving in a separate case.
Lipman received a 13-and-a-half year prison term after pleading guilty to four felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. These charges stem from a case that involved sexually explicit images that the police downloaded from Lipman's computer while he worked at Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott.
Lipman's attorney, John Trebon, said that the court already imposed a substantial prison sentence in the first case and that it would be unjust to add more years to it. He said his client is very remorseful and had sought treatment on his own to identify the problems that he is facing.
"He has taken responsibility" for his actions, Trebon said. "He didn't offer any excuses."
Referring to the victim's letter, Trebon said, "For her recovery, she wants to speak to (Lipman), but not through prison walls."
"She doesn't want him to die in prison," Trebon said. "Please do not condemn them both. Give him a chance to come out after 13-and-a-half years."
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Rabbi serving sentence in child-porn case
By Salvatore Caputo
Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - May 19, 2006 / Iyar 21 5766 (Volume 58, No. 34)
 |
| Rabbi David Lipman - Sex Offender |
Rabbi David Lipman, former spiritual leader of Temple B'rith Shalom in Prescott, is serving a 13-and-a-half year prison sentence for viewing sexually explicit images of children under age 15.
Arizona Department of Corrections records show that he was admitted to a state prison in Tucson on April 21.
Lipman was sentenced by Yavapai County Superior Court Judge William T. Kiger on March 24 for sexual exploitation of a minor, and received lifetime probation on three counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. The rabbi had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Dennis McGrane, chief deputy in the Yavapai County Attorney's Office, which prosecuted the case, explained that this case involved sexually explicit pictures of young children found on a computer that Lipman used at the synagogue.
Lipman also received lifetime probation after pleading guilty in a second case involving molestation of two girls who were 16 and 14 when the incidents came to light. The sentence was given by Kiger on April 13 for three counts of attempted molestation of a child and two counts of sexual abuse, court records show.
John Trebon, Lipman's attorney, said the sentences were the result of "a unique plea agreement" that was negotiated with Lipman's former attorney. In return for pleading guilty to all charges, he said, Lipman would receive a long sentence in the first case and probation in the second, but that, in a "hair-raising" turn of events, the prosecution also asked for prison in the second case.
"I'm sorry to see he has to go to prison at all," Trebon said. "He's a decent person with a lot to offer."
McGrane explained that at least one of the victims in the second case did not want the rabbi to go to prison and wrote a letter to the judge on Lipman's behalf. This may have been the deciding factor in the probation sentences in that case, he said.
Detective Robert Peoples of the Prescott Police Department told Jewish News last June that the department received a call May 13, 2005, from Child Protective Services reporting the possible sexual abuse of the girls. The call prompted a criminal investigation against Lipman, who "admitted to inappropriate touching," Peoples said.
Lipman was placed on administrative leave by the synagogue a week later. Lipman's family reported him missing on May 24, the police department issued an arrest warrant May 26, and the synagogue terminated his employment, effective May 27.
Lipman surrendered to authorities on June 30, Prescott Police Lt. Pete Hodap told Jewish News last July. Lipman was subsequently indicted by a grand jury on 16 counts of child molestation and sexual abuse.
Later, a department spokesman said that pornographic images were found by a technician working on the computer and reported to the police during their investigation of the earlier child-molestation allegations. This resulted in the case that brought Lipman a prison sentence.
Lipman, 55, was hired by the temple in the spring of 2002 and moved to Prescott from a position at Temple Sinai, in Rhode Island.
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Inmate Locator - Rabbi David Lipman
Arizona Department of Corrections - Septeber 29, 2012
http://test.azcorrections.gov/isearch/inmate_datasearch/index.aspx
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| Rabbi David Lipman - Convicted Sex Offender |
|
_________________________________________________________________________________
Inmate Locator - Rabbi David Lipman
Arizona Department of Corrections - January 29, 2014
http://www.azcorrections.gov/inmate_datasearch
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." –– Margaret Mead
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