Thursday, August 31, 2006

Case of Yosef Sagiv Ofri

Case of Yosef Sagiv Ofri
(AKA: Yosef Sagiv, Yosef Ofri)
THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Israeli Vice Consul - Security Officer, Atlanta, GA
Tel Aviv, Israel

Allegedly Israeli Vice Consul - Yosef Sagiv Ofri used the internet and email in order to persuade a child to carry out illegal acts such as sodomy and severe sexual abuse.  The Jerusalem Post reports that Ofri is a security officer with the consulate and carries an Israeli diplomatic passport. The Israeli Embassy in Washington confirmed that Ofri had been charged but refused to release more information on the case. According to the United States Department of States listing of Foreign Consular Offices in the United States (pg. 58), Ofri is listed as an Israeli Vice Consul since August 24, 205.

Augusta Judicial Circuit district, attorney Daniel J. Craig, said "Because you're dealing with a citizen of another country here, it was necessary to coordinate our efforts with the State Department and in accordance with the Vienna Convention."

According to court documents, Yosef Sagiv Ofri is being charged with 19 counts of Sexual Exploitation of Children. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 16, 2006 at 9:00 am.  The trail will begin on November 13, 2006.

Hon. Ducan D. Wheale, Judge

Ashley Wright, Prosecutor

Defense Attorney, Michael C. Garrett

Case Number: 2006-CR-822


Ofri is currently out on $50,000 bond. Some of the conditions include:

He cannot attempt to apply for another passport anywhere.

He may not have a passport issued to him without the knowledge of the U.S. government and the district attorney's office.

He is restricted from traveling outside the metropolitan Atlanta counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett, with the exception of the Interstate 20 corridor to Augusta to visit his attorneys and attend court proceedings in Columbia County.

He cannot have access to firearms, carry a firearm or be in the presence of firearms or ammunition.

His Internet access is prohibited at home, and he cannot use the Web to access chat rooms, electronic messaging or sexually explicit material at the consulate.

He is prohibited from having inappropriate contact with anyone younger than 18 or anyone whom he believes is a minor by computer or engaging in communication that is obscene or of a criminal nature.

He must surrender his concealed-weapons permit, which was taken on his arrest.


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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.

Table of Contents: 

2006 
  1. Columbia County authorities charge man with child porn  (08/31/2006)
  2. Israeli diplomat arrested on suspicion of pedophilia (08/31/2006)
  3. Israeli diplomat accused of luring minor for sex (09/01/2006)
  4. Diplomat Charged With Molestation  (09/01/2006)
  5. Israeli worker charged with luring minor  (09/01/2006) 
  6. Diplomat arrested in online porn case (09/01/2006)
  7. Security guard at Israeli consulate in U.S. held on pedophilia charges  (09/01/2006)
  8. Israeli diplomat released on bond  (09/07/2006)
  9. U.S. court released Israeli consulate guard charged with pedophilia (09/07/2006)
  10. Police blotter - Israeli diplomat released on bond (09/10/2006)
  11. Superior Court Calender Call: September 18, 2006  (09/18/2006)
  12. Superior Court Calender Call: Monday, October 16, 2006  (10/16/2006)

2007
  1. Israeli Lured 'Minor' For Sex (04/27/2007)
  2. Diplomat deported after plea (04/28/2007)
  3. Atlanta diplomat sent home after child porn plea The Israeli was caught trying to snare a girl online who he thought was 15 (04/28/2007)
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Columbia County authorities charge man with child porn
The Augusta Chronicle - Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006


Police arrested an Israeli man today in metro Atlanta after a Columbia County grand jury indicted him on charges that he used a computer to entice a child to perform sexual acts.

Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, was indicted by the grand jury Wednesday on charges of computer pornography and child exploitation, according to a news release from District Attorney Danny Craig.

Mr. Ofri is accused of using the Internet to "entice a child to commit illegal acts ... utilizing verbal descriptions, narrative accounts and photographic depictions," Mr. Craig said in the news release.

Mr. Ofri was arrested today in DeKalb County, Mr. Craig said, and search warrants were executed at his home.

The investigation was conducted by the Columbia County Sheriff's Office and state and federal agencies.

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Israeli diplomat arrested on suspicion of pedophilia
By Yitzhak Benhorin
YNet News - August 31, 2006

Following undercover investigation, Israeli who works for Consulate in Atlanta arrested and charged with computer offences and exploitation of children

WASHINGTON– An Israeli diplomat, Yosef Sagiv, was arrested Friday in the American city of Atlanta on suspicion of computer related offences linked to pornography and the sexual exploitation of children.

Captain Steve Morris, of the Columbia District Police in Georgia, told Ynet that the arrestee was a worker in the Israeli Consulate. He was arrested upon leaving his home and transferred into custody at a distance from Atlanta.

Daniel Craig, the District Attorney of Augusta, in the state of Georgia, announced that Sagiv used the internet and email in order to persuade a child to carry out illegal acts such as sodomy and severe sexual abuse.

The investigation has been going on for a considerable time by the Sherriff's Department of the Columbia district in Georgia, as well as other government agencies such as the FBI. With that, the suspect was arrested only on Thursday after an indictment was approved. According to the decree, a search of the suspect's home was also carried out.

The Foreign Ministry said in response that they were aware of the episode and were looking into details. It was also said that the suspect holds a diplomatic license but is not an employee of the Foreign Ministry.

This is not the first time that the Foreign Ministry has had to deal with embarrassing episodes: Three years ago the Israeli Consul in Sao Paolo, Aryeh Sher, was arrested due to suspicions that his computer held pornographic material.

Roee Nahmias contributed to this report


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Diplomat arrested in online porn case
The Augusta Chronicle - September 1, 2006

ATLANTA - An Israeli diplomat stationed at the Atlanta consulate was arrested Thursday morning by Columbia County deputies on charges that he tried to entice what he thought was a child on the Internet with pornography.

He was arrested at his Atlanta home and remains in the Columbia County jail. Israeli officials met with him there Thursday.

Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, was indicted by a Columbia County grand jury Wednesday.

According to a 22-count indictment unsealed Thursday in Columbia County Superior Court, Mr. Ofri's charges involve inappropriate sexual conduct via the Internet with a person he believed to be younger than 16 on 11 occasions in June, July and August.

Authorities allege that Mr. Ofri furnished the "victim" with pornographic material and asked the "person he believed to be a child under the age of 16" to "create and furnish" pornographic material of a person younger than 16.

Columbia County investigators say he used e-mail and instant messages, along with pornographic photos and narratives, to lure a child to commit sodomy and child molestation, according to a news release from Augusta District Attorney Danny Craig. The county wouldn't reveal whether there was a real child involved or only an investigator posing online as a child.

As an employee of a foreign consulate, Mr. Ofri may be covered under some level of diplomatic immunity. What level depends on the job status of the person arrested.

U.S. State Department documents list Mr. Ofri with the title of Vice Consul. The Jerusalem Post described him as the security officer at the Atlanta consulate.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington issued a brief statement noting it was informed of the arrest and charges and had been in contact with the U.S. Department of State.

"We are currently receiving the information at hand and have, at this time, no further comment," the statement said.

Israel may decide to withdraw any immunity and allow him to be prosecuted. Mr. Craig will likely go through the State Department to ask the Israelis to let him proceed.

If Mr. Ofri is immune, the State Department would almost certainly expel him from the country.

The arrest of any diplomatic employee anywhere in the world is rare, and none from Israel has been arrested for this type of crime in recent memory.

More than 50 countries operate consulates in Atlanta, mostly tasked with assisting visitors between their country and the United States or trying to drum up trade. For example, the Israeli Consul General Shmuel Ben-Shmuel escorted Gov. Sonny Perdue and a contingent of business executives last fall on a week-long trade mission to Israel.

Mr. Ben-Shmuel has been reassigned and left Atlanta two weeks ago. The consulate did not return calls seeking a comment.

Mr. Ofri's next-door neighbor described the married father of two as "normal, nice" and quiet.

Tami Easom said that in the year or so that Mr. Ofri and his family have lived in the posh North Atlanta neighborhood that they mostly kept to themselves and socialized occasionally with other Israelis.

"He would be the most unassuming person that you would suspect that of," she said, adding that even when an investigator came to her door after the arrest asking about young baby-sitters in the neighborhood, she still didn't suspect him as a sexual threat to her own young children.

The State Department and Mr. Perdue's office referred all questions to Mr. Craig.

Mr. Craig said state and federal law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation but that he expects any trial to remain in Columbia County.

"The investigation is quite complete," he said. "We're just reluctant to discuss any of our pieces pretrial."

Mr. Ofri's first court appearance had not yet been scheduled Thursday, Mr. Craig said.

"Because you're dealing with a citizen of another country here, it was necessary to coordinate our efforts with the State Department and in accordance with the Vienna Convention," he said. "But there's no reason to think the case would not progress on an ordinary course."

Adopted by the United Nations in 1961, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations governs how people acting as diplomats in other nations should be treated.
 

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Security guard at Israeli consulate in U.S. held on pedophilia charges
By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

Haaretz - September 9, 2006

A security officer at the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, was charged on Thursday with pedophila and with seducing children to perform "illegal acts, including sodomy."

Police detained the guard, Yosef Sagiv Ofri, after finding pornographic pictures of children and crude sexual letters on his computer.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington confirmed that Ofri had been charged but refused to release more information on the case.

Ofri was accused of using emails and online messages to seduce a child from a suburb of Atlanta for "illegal acts relating to sodomy, aggravated sodomy, child molestation and aggravated child molestation."

Officials from the consulate on Thursday visited Ofri, who carries a diplomatic passport, at the county's detention center. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that it had been informed of the matter and was looking into the details.

Augusta Judicial Circuit district, attorney Daniel J. Craig, said "Because you're dealing with a citizen of another country here, it was necessary to coordinate our efforts with the State Department and in accordance with the Vienna Convention."

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Israeli diplomat accused of luring minor for sex
The Associated Press - September 1, 2006


(ATLANTA) An employee of Israel's consulate in Atlanta was arrested Thursday on charges that he used the Internet to try to lure a minor into having sex with him.

Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, was indicted by a grand jury in Columbia County on Wednesday.

He was arrested at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday outside his home in DeKalb County, near Atlanta, according to Augusta Judicial Circuit district attorney Daniel J. Craig.

Authorities also obtained a warrant to search Ofri's home, according to a statement from Craig's office.

The indictment says that Ofri used e-mail and online messages to lure a child from Columbia County _ about two hours east of Atlanta _ for "illegal acts relating to sodomy, aggravated sodomy, child molestation and aggravated child molestation."

Capt. Steve Morris, of the Columbia County Sheriff's office, said Ofri works for the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta. He said officials from the consulate visited with Ofri Thursday at the county's detention center, where he was being held.

Ofri was working as a security officer at the consulate and was carrying an Israeli diplomatic passport, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The consulate did not return several telephone calls by the Associated Press for comment on Thursday. The Atlanta consulate is a branch of the Israeli government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs which represents the nation throughout the southeastern United States.

Craig would not say whether the indictment resulted from an online sting operation or a complaint from an actual victim. Law enforcement officers sometimes pose as children on the Internet in an effort to capture online predators.

"The investigation is quite complete," Craig said. "We're just reluctant to discuss any of our pieces pretrial."

Ofri's first court appearance had not yet been scheduled Thursday afternoon, Craig said.

Craig said state and federal law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation but that he expects any trial in the case to remain in Columbia County.

"Because you're dealing with a citizen of another country here, it was necessary to coordinate our efforts with the State Department and in accordance with the Vienna Convention," he said. "But there's no reason to think the case would not progress on an ordinary course."

Adopted by the United Nations in 1961, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations governs how people acting as diplomats in other nations should be treated.

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Diplomat Charged With Molestation
Associated Press - September 1, 2006

An employee of Israel's consulate in Atlanta was arrested on child molestation charges Thursday.

ATLANTA (AP) -- An employee of Israel's consulate in Atlanta was arrested Thursday on charges that he used the Internet to try to lure a minor into having sex.

Yosef Sagiv Ofri was indicted by a grand jury in Columbia County yesterday.

District Attorney Daniel Craig of Augusta says the 37-year-old Ofri was arrested at about 7:30 a.m. outside his home in DeKalb County, near Atlanta.

Craig says authorities also obtained a warrant to search Ofri's home, according to a statement from Craig's office.

The indictment says that Ofri used e-mail and online messages to lure a child from Columbia County—about two hours east of Atlanta—for "illegal acts relating to sodomy, aggravated sodomy, child molestation and aggravated child molestation."

Captain Steve Morris of the Columbia County Sheriff's office said Ofri works for the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta.

He said officials from the consulate visited with Ofri today at the county's detention center, where he is being held.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Ofri is a security officer with the consulate and carries an Israeli diplomatic passport.

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Israeli worker charged with luring minorBy Doug Gross
Associated Press -Friday, September 1, 2006

An employee of Israel's consulate in Atlanta was arrested Thursday on charges that he used the Internet to try to lure a minor into having sex with him.

Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, was indicted by a grand jury in Columbia County on Wednesday.

He was arrested at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday outside his home in DeKalb County, near Atlanta, according to Augusta Judicial Circuit district attorney Daniel J. Craig.

Authorities also obtained a warrant to search Ofri's home, according to a statement from Craig's office.

The indictment says that Ofri used e-mail and online messages to lure a child from Columbia County --- about two hours east of Atlanta --- for "illegal acts relating to sodomy, aggravated sodomy, child molestation and aggravated child molestation."

Capt. Steve Morris, of the Columbia County Sheriff's office, said Ofri works for the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta. He said officials from the consulate visited with Ofri Thursday at the county's detention center, where he was being held.

Ofri was working as a security officer at the consulate and was carrying an Israeli diplomatic passport, according to the Jerusalem Post.

The consulate did not return several telephone calls by The Associated Press for comment Thursday. The Atlanta consulate is a branch of the Israeli government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which represents the nation throughout the southeastern United States.

Ilana Ravid, a spokeswoman for Israel's foreign ministry, said officials there "are aware of the situation and are looking into it."

Craig would not say whether the indictment resulted from an online sting operation or a complaint from an actual victim. Law enforcement officers sometimes pose as children on the Internet in an effort to capture online predators.

"The investigation is quite complete," Craig said. "We're just reluctant to discuss any of our pieces pretrial."

Ofri's first court appearance had not yet been scheduled Thursday afternoon, Craig said.

State and federal law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation but Craig expects any trial in the case to remain in Columbia County, he said.

"Because you're dealing with a citizen of another country here, it was necessary to coordinate our efforts with the State Department and in accordance with the Vienna Convention," he said. "But there's no reason to think the case would not progress on an ordinary course."

Adopted by the United Nations in 1961, the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations governs how people acting as diplomats in other nations should be treated.

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Israeli diplomat released on bond
By J. Scott Trubey,  Columbia County Bureau
Augusta Chronicle - September 7, 2006


An Israeli diplomat was released from the Columbia County Detention Center on $50,000 bond Wednesday within hours of pleading not guilty to charges that he tried to entice what he thought was a child on the Internet with pornography.

A bond of $50,000 was granted Wednesday afternoon to Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, an Israeli diplomat stationed at the Atlanta Israeli Consulate, during a bond hearing and arraignment before Superior Court Judge Duncan Wheale. The bond was set with nine conditions, including that he cannot leave the United States with the assistance of the Israeli government and that he must surrender his diplomatic passport.

Mr. Ofri's lawyer, Mike Garrett, asked for the bond to be reduced to $25,000, but Judge Wheale agreed to the $50,000 amount requested by Augusta Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Ashley Wright.

"We feel it would be a sufficient amount of money to return (Mr. Ofri) to court to respond to the charges against him," Ms. Wright said. Mr. Garrett said the Ofris were of limited means and presented the judge with letters written on his client's behalf, including one, he said, written by an FBI agent who knew Mr. Ofri through anti-terrorism classes he taught in the Atlanta area.

Judge Wheale said the letters weren't necessary because the district attorney's office was not challenging the bond and that he held a trumping document in the bond decision, an indictment.

"I would have set it higher if the state had asked for it," the judge said of the bond.

Mr. Ofri's attorney agreed to the terms of his bond. Present at the hearing were members of Mr. Ofri's family, including his wife, ranking members from the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta and two attorneys representing the state of Israel, one of whom flew in from Tel Aviv.

On the side of the prosecution, Chuck Olson of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia supplied support for the case, which involves the U.S. Departments of State, Justice, the Israeli government and local law enforcement agencies.

Among other conditions placed on Mr. Ofri's bond:

  • He cannot attempt to apply for another passport anywhere.
  • He may not have a passport issued to him without the knowledge of the U.S. government and the district attorney's office.
  • He is restricted from traveling outside the metropolitan Atlanta counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett, with the exception of the Interstate 20 corridor to Augusta to visit his attorneys and attend court proceedings in Columbia County.
  • He cannot have access to firearms, carry a firearm or be in the presence of firearms or ammunition.
  • His Internet access is prohibited at home, and he cannot use the Web to access chat rooms, electronic messaging or sexually explicit material at the consulate.
  • He is prohibited from having inappropriate contact with anyone younger than 18 or anyone whom he believes is a minor by computer or engaging in communication that is obscene or of a criminal nature.
  • He must surrender his concealed-weapons permit, which was taken on his arrest.
"I never caused any problems with anybody, and I'm not about to start," Mr. Ofri told the judge when asked if he understood the terms of his bond.

Mr. Ofri was indicted by a Columbia County grand jury Aug. 30 and was arrested the next day by Columbia County authorities at his Atlanta home. He faces 22 counts of the charge of computer pornography and child exploitation.

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Police blotter - Israeli diplomat released on bond
The Columbia County News Times - September 10, 2006

An Israeli diplomat was released from the Columbia County Detention Center on $50,000 bond Wednesday within hours of pleading not guilty to charges that he tried to entice what he thought was a child on the Internet with pornography.

A bond of $50,000 was granted Wednesday afternoon to Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, an Israeli diplomat stationed at the Atlanta Israeli Consulate, during a bond hearing and arraignment before Superior Court Judge Duncan Wheale. The bond was set with nine conditions, including that Ofri cannot leave the United States with the assistance of the Israeli government and that he must surrender his diplomatic passport.

Ofri's attorney said the defense and prosecution agreed to the terms of his bond before the hearing.
Ofri was indicted by a Columbia County grand jury Aug. 30 and was arrested the next day by Columbia County authorities at his Atlanta home. He faces 22 counts of the charge of computer pornography and child exploitation.
 
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U.S. court released Israeli consulate guard charged with pedophilia
By Shmuel Rosner
Haaretz - September 7, 2006


An Atlanta court on Thursday released on bail a security officer at the Israeli consulate in Atlanta, Georgia, charged last week with pedophila, Israel Radio reported.

Police detained the guard, Yosef Sagiv Ofri, after finding pornographic pictures of children and crude sexual letters on his computer.

The Israeli Embassy in Washington confirmed that Ofri had been charged but refused to release more information on the case.

Ofri was accused of using emails and online messages to seduce a child from a suburb of Atlanta for "illegal acts relating to sodomy, aggravated sodomy, child molestation and aggravated child molestation."

Officials from the consulate on Thursday visited Ofri, who carries a diplomatic passport, at the county's detention center. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that it had been informed of the matter and was looking into the details.

Augusta Judicial Circuit district, attorney Daniel J. Craig, said "Because you're dealing with a citizen of another country here, it was necessary to coordinate our efforts with the State Department and in accordance with the Vienna Convention."
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Superior Court
Calender Call For September 18, 2006

9:00 AM - 2nd Floor - Columbia Cty Ctrm IV

Judge: Hon. Duncan D. Wheale

Prosecutor: Ashley Wright

Defense Attorney: None

Defendant:  Ofri, Yosef Sagiv   2006- CR-822

Jail Days:   0

Offense(s): 22 Counts Sexual, Exploitation of Children

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Superior Court
Ready List - Trial Week 11/13/2006
Calendar Call: Monday, October 16, 2006

9:00 AM - 2nd Floor - Columbia County County Ctm. II

http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:KxF5sWtSzh8J:www.augustaga.gov/departments/superiorcourt/docs/20061016_AM_DDW_CC_RL.pdf+%22Yosef+Sagiv%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=12

Judge: Hon. Duncan D. Wheale

Prosecutor: Ashley Wright

Defense Attorney: Michael C. Garrett

Defendant: Ofri, Yosef Sagiv   2006-CR-822   Term: March 2006

Jail Days:    0

Offense(s):  22 Counts Sexual, Exploitation of Children

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Israeli Lured 'Minor' For Sex 
By Valerie Rowell
The Augusta Chronicle - April 27, 2007

ABSTRACT
Between June and August, Mr. [Yosef Sagiv Ofri] was accused of providing the "victim" with pornographic material and asked the "person he believed to be under the age of 16" to create and provide pornographic material of a minor, according to the indictment. 

Superior Court Judge Duncan D. Wheale sentenced Mr. Ofri to 10 years' confinement, but the time can be served on probation if Mr. Ofri returns to Israel within 30 days, pays a $5,000 fine, surrenders the computer used during the offenses and does not accept any employment within the U.S.

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Diplomat deported after plea
Athens Banner-Herald - April 28, 2007


AUGUSTA - An Israeli diplomat stationed at the Atlanta consulate was ordered Thursday to leave the country after pleading guilty to computer pornography and child exploitation charges.

Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, was indicted in August on 22 counts of computer pornography and child exploitation.

Between June and August, Ofri was accused of providing the "victim" with pornographic material and asked the "person he believed to be under the age of 16" to create and provide pornographic material of a minor, according to the indictment.

Assistant District Attorney Ashley Wright said a Columbia County resident independently established contact with Ofri online, posing as a 15-year-old girl.

"Once she had established communication with a person willing to engage in sexual relations with a minor, she contacted (authorities)," Wright said.
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Atlanta diplomat sent home after child porn plea The Israeli was caught trying to snare a girl online who he thought was 15
Florida TImes Union - April 28 2007

AUGUSTA - An Israeli diplomat stationed at the Atlanta consulate was ordered Thursday to leave the country after pleading guilty to computer pornography and child exploitation charges. 

Yosef Sagiv Ofri, 37, was indicted in August on 22 counts of computer pornography and child exploitation. 

Between June and August, Ofri was accused of providing the "victim" with pornographic material and asked the "person he believed to be under the age of 16" to create and provide pornographic material of a minor, according to the indictment. 

Assistant District Attorney Ashley Wright said a Columbia County resident independently established contact with Ofri online, posing as a 15-year-old girl. 

"Once she had established communication with a person willing to engage in sexual relations with a minor, she contacted [authorities]," Wright said. 

Ofri accepted a negotiated plea agreement with the District Attorney's Office, which included pleading guilty to 10 of the 22 counts. 

Superior Court Judge Duncan Wheale sentenced Ofri to 10 years' confinement, but the time can be served on probation if Ofri returns to Israel within 30 days, pays a $5,000 fine, surrenders the computer used during the offenses and does not accept any employment within the U.S. 

Authorities say Ofri used e-mail and instant messages, along with pornographic photos and narratives, to lure a child to commit sodomy and child molestation. 

Ofri was indicted Aug. 30 and arrested the next day by Columbia County authorities at his north Atlanta home. He was released from the Columbia County Detention Center less than a week later after posting a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.
 
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Wednesday, August 30, 2006

A MEDIA CODE OF ETHICS - When dealing with Sexual Abuse

A MEDIA CODE OF ETHICS
US Department of Justice

The news media should--



  • Present details about a crime in a fair, objective, and balanced manner.
  • Recognize the importance of publishing or broadcasting information that can contribute to public safety and, at the same time, balance this need with the victim's need for privacy.
  • Respect the privacy of individuals who choose to refrain from dealing with the media or who choose to address the media through a spokesperson of their choice.
  • Provide a balanced perspective relevant to a criminal act that reflects the concerns of the victim and offender.
  • Never report rumors or innuendoes about the victim, the offender, or the crime unless such information has been verified by reliable sources.
  • In crimes other than homicide, identify the victim by age and area where the crime occurs, omitting street addresses and block numbers.
  • Refrain from using information gained from private conversations of victims or their relatives who are in shock or distraught.
  • Identify witnesses only when they volunteer to be named, and when there is clearly no danger that can be predicted through their identification by the media.
  • Never publish the identity of a sexual assault victim without his or her prior consent, regardless of whether the case is in the criminal or civil courts.
  • Never publish the identity of a child victim.
  • Never identify alleged or convicted incest offenders when such actions could lead to the identification of the victim.
  • In cases of kidnapping where it is determined that the victim has been sexually assaulted, stop identifying the victim by name once a sexual assault has been alleged.
  • Never identify the names of victims of scams or other crimes that tend to humiliate or degrade the victim without the victim's prior consent.
  • Refrain from photographing or broadcasting images that portray personal grief and/or shock resulting from a criminal act.
  • Never publish photographs or broadcast images that could place the subject in danger.
  • Refrain from showing photographs or broadcast images of deceased victims, body bags, or seriously wounded victims.
  • Never publish photographs or broadcast images of funerals without the surviving family members' prior consent.
  • Refer to drunk driving incidents as "crashes" or "crimes," not accidents, regardless of whether or not the use of alcohol has been determined as a factor.
  • Approach the coverage of all stories related to crime and victimization in a manner that is not lurid, sensational, or intrusive to the victim and his or her family.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Case of Yitzhak Bohasilovsky

Case of Yitzhak Bohasilovsky

Bnei Brak, Israel



Confessed to series of indecent acts involving 300 children.
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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. 


Table of Contents: 

2006
  1. Serial pedophile or fabricator? (08/29/2006)
  2. Haredi pedophile charged with only 2 counts (09/06/2006)


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Serial pedophile or fabricator?
by Eli Senyor
Ynetnews, Israel - August 29, 2006

Dan District Police arrest Bnei Brak resident who confessed to series of indecent acts involving 300 children, seek to extend custody


Dan District Police have arrested Bnei Brak resident Yitzhak Bohasilovsky (31), who voluntarily confessed to committing indecent acts against 300 children.

Police are still searching for the children who fell victim to his acts, while sending the suspect for observation.

Bohasilovsky was arrested Sunday following a complaint submitted by a mother, according to which the suspect touched her young son on a bus. Shortly afterwards, Dan District Police arrested the suspect and took him for interrogation at the police station.

To their surprise, during the investigation, Bohasilovsky began to detail a long list of hundreds of incidents in which he attacked young children. He told officers that he carried out the acts in public parks, buses, and in ritual baths – in almost every public place for the last 15 years. Investigators say he told them: "Help me, I'm a sick man."

Detectives, who were shocked by the chilling confession, wrote down his full confession, but doubts began to creep in about his credibility.

Despite the doubts of the police, the arrest of Bohasilovsky was extended at the Tel Aviv District court, which also sent him for psychiatric evaluation.

Detectives have so far been unable to tie the suspect to the incidents he described, and are trying to see whether police possess complaints by minors which match his confession.

Bohasilovsky's lawyer denied the confession was valid.

Police are currently awaiting a psychological evaluation to verify whether the suspect is credible or whether he is a fabricator who attempted to gain attention in an unusual way.


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 Haredi pedophile charged with only 2 counts
 By Vered Luvitch
 YNET NEWS - September 6, 2006

Bnei Brak resident admits to dozens of sexual offenses against children in course of 16 years; court charges him with two counts of sexual assault against minors 

Yitzhak Bohasilovsky, 31, of Bnei Brak, who in August admitted to sexually molesting dozens of children, was charged with only two counts of sexual assault against minors on Wednesday morning.

The indictment submitted to the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court read that Bohasilovsky molested a child for sexual pleasure, having accompanied the minor home.

In the second count, Bohasilovsky was said to have caressed a child's bottom on a bus in August 2005.

Prosecutors charged that Bohasilovsky had performed sexual acts without consent and other sexual assault offenses against children aged under 14.


Police awaiting psychological evaluation 
Bohasilovsky told police interrogators in August of hundreds of incidents in which he attacked young children. He told officers that he carried out the acts in public parks, buses, and in ritual baths – in almost every public place for the last 16 years. Investigators say he told them: "Help me, I'm a sick man."

Detectives have so far been unable to tie the suspect to most of the incidents he described, and are trying to see whether police possess complaints by minors which match his confession.
Bohasilovsky’s lawyer denied the confession was valid.  

Police are awaiting a psychological evaluation to verify whether the suspect is credible or whether he is a fabricator who attempted to gain attention in an unusual way.


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FAIR USE NOTICE
Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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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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Monday, August 28, 2006

Case of Rabbi Edward Schlaeger, LCSW

Case of Rabbi Edward Schlaeger, M.Ed., LCSW
(AKA: Edward M. Schlaeger, Ed Schlaeger)


Currently Resides - Skokie, IL
Formerly Resided - Shelton, CT

Caseworker - Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System in Bridgeport, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, West Haven, CT
Rabbi - Congregation Sinai, West Haven, CT
Formerly Resided - Newton, CT
Formerly Resided - New Town, CT
Formerly Resided - Philadelphia, PA

Former Student - Wurzeiler School of Social Work, New York, NY
Former Student - Temple University, Philadelphia PA
Former Student - Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC), Wyncote, PA
Former Student - University of Maryland University College (UMUC), Adelphi, MD
Former Student - Niles East High School, Skokie, IL


Convicted sex offender on charges of possession of child pornography.  Even though Schlaeger is a convicted sex offender and is listed on the National Sex Offender Registry, he maintains an account on Facebook and Linkedin.

According to reports, after Edward Schlaeger's conviction he converted to Christianity.

There are several individuals who go by the name of Edward Schlaeger. The individual discussed on this page was born in April 29, 1955. He currently resides in Skokie, IL.

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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.

Table of Contents:  

2006
  1. Ex rabbi arrested on child porn charge (08/28/2006)
  2. Ex rabbi surrenders on count of child porn (08/28/2006)
  3. Caseworker And Former Rabbi Arrested On Pornography Charges (08/30/2006)
  4. Ex-rabbi's kid-porn arraignment delayed (09/07/2006)
  5. Judge OKs delay in porn case (09/08/2006)

2008
  1. Former rabbi guilty in child porn case (02/04/2008)
  2. Ex-Rabbi's porn sentence suspended (04/14/2008)
  3. Voluntary Surrender of License (07/24/2008)


2014
  1. Illinois Sex Offender Registry (01/18/2014)
  2. Facebook - Ed Schlaeger (01/18/2014)
  3. Linkedin - Edward Schlaeger (01/18/2014)

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Ex rabbi arrested on child porn charge
Connecticut Post - August 28, 2006


TRUMBULL — A former West Haven rabbi now working as a counselor for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has been arrested on a child pornography charge.

Edward Schlaeger, 51, of Hawthorne Avenue, Shelton, was arrested on a warrant Saturday and charged with one count of third-degree possession of child pornography.

He was released after posting a court-set bond of $10,000 and is scheduled to appear Sept. 7 in Bridgeport Superior Court.

According to Trumbull police, the pornography was discovered by Schlaeger's wife last September when she was cleaning out their former home here on Stonehouse Drive. The couple was being divorced.

Schlaeger's wife notified police, and search-and-seizure warrants were executed at both the Trumbull and Shelton addresses that same month.

Items confiscated by police included CDs and videos, all depicting pre-teens.

Schlaeger surrendered Saturday at police headquarters.

He is an employee of the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System in Bridgeport, a division of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

His supervisor, James Pisciotta, declined to comment and referred all questions to the department's spokesman, who could not be reached Monday for comment.

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Caseworker And Former Rabbi Arrested On Pornography Charges
NBC-30 News - August 30, 2006

TRUMBULL, Conn. -- A state caseworker and former rabbi has been arrested on charges of possessing child pornography.

Edward Schlaeger, 51, currently lives in Shelton. But police say his estranged wife found the material at the house they used to share in Trumbull.

According to the arrest warrant, police seized boxes of pornography and two discs containing images of what they believe are underage women.

Schlaeger is free on bond and is suspended with pay from the state department of mental retardation and addiction services.

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Ex-rabbi's kid-porn arraignment delayed
MICHAEL P. MAYKO mmayko@ctpost.com
Connecticut Post, CT
September 7, 2006
http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_4301104

BRIDGEPORT — A former West Haven rabbi and state social worker charged with having child pornography had his arraignment postponed until later this month so he can hire a lawyer.

Superior Court Judge Earl Richards granted Edward Schlaeger's request to delay his expected not-guilty plea during an appearance Thursday.

Schlaeger, 51, of Hawthorne Avenue in Shelton, is the former rabbi of Congregation Sinai in West Haven. He recently worked as a counselor for the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System in Bridgeport, a division of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Wayne Dailey, a department spokesman, said Schlaeger has been on paid administrative leave since his arrest Aug. 24.

Schlaeger surrendered to Trumbull police on that day, following a year-long investigation that included searches of his former home on Stone House Road in Trumbull and his current home in Shelton. He has been free on bond since.

Trumbull police began investigating.

Schlaeger after his estranged wife turned over a series of suspected child pornography videos to the lawyer handling her divorce. The videos and other evidence gathered during the searches were reviewed by the State Police Computer Crimes and Electronic Evidence laboratory, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and officials with the Yale-New Haven Medical Center Sexual Abuse Evaluation Program before charges were filed.

Meanwhile, Supervisory Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Marcello is is considering transferring the case from the Superior Court, Part B on Golden Hill Street court to Superior Court, Part A on Main Street.

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Judge OKs delay in porn case
By Michael P. Mayko
Connecticut Post - February 4, 2008

ABSTRACT

[Edward Schlaeger], 51, of Hawthorne Avenue, Shelton, is the former rabbi of Congregation Sinai in West Haven. He recently worked as a counselor for the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System in Bridgeport, a division of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

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Former rabbi guilty in child porn case
By Michael P. Mayko
Connecticut Post - February 4, 2008

ABSTRACT

Howard Stein] advised the judge that the files were made between April 26, 2003, and July 16, 2004. [Edward Schlaeger] is the former rabbi of Congregation Sinai in West Haven. More recently he worked as a counselor for the Southwest Connecticut Mental Health System in Bridgeport, which is a division of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. He was arrested after surrendering to Trumbull police on Aug. 24, 2006. Police searched Schlaeger's former home in Trumbull as well as his Shelton home during their investigation. . . 

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Ex-Rabbi's porn sentence suspended
By Daniel Tepfer
Connecticut Post - April 14, 2008

A former West Haven rabbi and mental health counselor was given a suspended sentence today for possessing child pornography.

"I have great remorse and great sadness. I've accepted responsibility for my actions and I assure you, you will never see me in court again," Edward Schlaeger told Superior Court Judge George Thim.

"This conduct cannot be condoned," the judge retorted as he sentenced the 53-year-old former Trumbull resident to a five-year suspended term, followed by five years probation. He also ordered Schlaeger to register as a sex offender.

Until he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, Schlaeger had been the rabbi of Congregation Sinai in West Haven and was a clinical social worker for the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services at its Southwest Community Mental Health Center here.

His lawyer, John R. Gulash, told the judge his client has since converted to Christianity and has been attending a church in Trumbull. He said his client intends to relocate to Skokie, Ill.

Gulash also told the judge that his client has been undergoing counseling and will continue to do so.

According to Senior Assistant State's Attorney Howard Stein, Schlaeger's estranged wife, through her lawyer, in September 2005 handed over to the Bridgeport State's Attorneys office two compact discs she had discovered while cleaning the defendant's property out of their Trumbull home.

The discs, labeled with black marker "Fun Times"

and "Downloaded pics," contained 15 pornographic images.

Stein said one of the images was positively identified as that of a child from an investigation in Germany, another was an obvious pornographic image of a child and six others appeared to be images of children.

The prosecutor said police searched the Trumbull home and seized a milk crate containing a large collection of pornographic material along with a genital piercing kit.

Schlaeger's ex-wife also turned over to police his journal in which he described himself as suffering from a sexual addiction, the prosecutor said.

Police later seized a large amount of pornographic paraphernalia from the home in Shelton where Schlaeger subsequently moved, the prosecutor said.

But Stein told the judge that despite the "truckload" of pornographic material seized from the defendant, only two images from the CDs could definitely be determined to be child pornography. He said he agreed to the plea bargain because, under state law, it is a defense to the crime if a defendant has fewer than three images.

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Voluntary Surrender of License
State of Connecticut Department of Public Health - July 24, 2008




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Illinois Sex Offender Registry
January 18, 2014



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Facebook - Ed Schlaeger 
January 18, 2014




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Linkedin - Edward Schlaeger 
January 18, 2014



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FAIR USE NOTICE

Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
___________________________________________________________________________________

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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