Case of Rabbi Moishe Turner
(AKA: Moshe Turner)
(AKA: Moshe Turner)
Monsey, NY
Convicted on charges of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy on seven different occasions. This is another case in which a person states he was a rabbi, and others in the community state he is not. According to Jewish law, a rabbi is a teacher, often ordained by another rabbi, but not necessarily. So by denying he's a rabbi is nothing more then a way to deny clergy sexual abuse occurs. The vast number of rabbis in the chasidic world do not have a synagogue or work in yeshivas (Jewish schools).
For more information on the history of rabbinic ordination: Click Here
For more information on the history of rabbinic ordination: Click Here
____________________________________________________________________________________
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:
Table of Contents:
2011
- Spring Valley Rabbi Accused of Sodomizing Boys (10/23/2011)
- Man, 53, Arrested For Sexually Abusing 14-Year-Old Boy (10/24/2011)
- (10/25/2011)
- Rockland County Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing 14-Year-Old Boy (10/25/2011)
2012
- Accused Ramapo Molester Indicted (04/19/2012)
- Come Support the Victims of Mosher Turner in Court (05/09/2012)
2013
- 2 convictions in Orthodox child sex cases (01/18/2013)
Also see:
____________________________________________________________________________________
Spring Valley Rabbi Accused of Sodomizing Boys
News 12 - October 23, 2011
Ramapo police arrested 58-year-old Rabbi Moishe Turner earlier this week for allegedly sodomizing boys.
The Monsey resident was arraigned in Spring Valley Village Court yesterday, and charged with seven counts of criminal sex acts in the second degree, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
The religious leader posted bail yesterday, and is expected back in court on Oct. 27. His case is being handled by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.
____________________________________________________________________________________
By Shelley NG
WPIX - October 24, 2011
RAMAPO, N.Y. (WPIX)— Ramapo Police have arrested and charged a 58-year-old man for sexually abusing a 14-year-old-boy in Monsey.
Cops say Moishe Turner of Dana Road in Spring Valley was arrested following an October 19 investigation about a report of sexual abuse.
____________________________________________________________________________________
ABC NEWS - October 25, 2011
____________________________________________________________________________________
Rockland County Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing 14-Year-Old Boy
CBS News New York - October 25, 2011
RAMAPO, NY (CBSNewYork) – Police have arrested a 58-year-old Rockland County man, accusing him of a sex crime against a child.
Ramapo police say Moishe Turner of Spring Valley sexually abused a 14-year-old boy.
Turner faces seven sex crime charges, including endangering the welfare of a child.
Police say they’re still investigating and expect to file more charges.
Turner is being held in the Rockland County Jail.
____________________________________________________________________________________
News 12 -
____________________________________________________________________________________
Accused Ramapo Molester Indicted
Rockland County Times - April 19, 2012
Moishe Turner, age 58, of 5 Dana Road in Spring Valley was indicted
on April 11, 2012 by a Rockland County Grand Jury for the crimes of
Criminal Sexual Act in the 2nd Degree, a felony (4 Counts), Sexual Abuse
in the 3rd Degree (4 Counts) and Endangering the Welfare of a Child,
misdemeanors.
District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe stated that on or about July of 2011, on several occasions, in Spring Valley, NY, defendant had oral sexual contact and anal sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy who is known to him. The DA said the defendant also fondled the boy’s penis with his hand. According to sources in the Orthodox community, Turner’s misdeeds were known for years and with multiple victims, however it took considerable effort and courage for a victim to finally come forward and pursue criminal charges against him.
Turner calls himself a Rabbi although he does not have a following or practice as a Rabbi. It is common for men in the religious community to technically be Rabbis by virtue of their education, but not be spiritual leaders of an actual congregation.
Come Support the Victims of Mosher Turner in Court
CALA-NY - May 9, 2012
Wednesday May 9th in the morning, will be the court hearing for Moishe Turner in New City, NY. Please attend, and show the judge that Jews don’t tolerate molesters.
Rockland County Times - April 19, 2012
District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe stated that on or about July of 2011, on several occasions, in Spring Valley, NY, defendant had oral sexual contact and anal sexual contact with a 14-year-old boy who is known to him. The DA said the defendant also fondled the boy’s penis with his hand. According to sources in the Orthodox community, Turner’s misdeeds were known for years and with multiple victims, however it took considerable effort and courage for a victim to finally come forward and pursue criminal charges against him.
Turner calls himself a Rabbi although he does not have a following or practice as a Rabbi. It is common for men in the religious community to technically be Rabbis by virtue of their education, but not be spiritual leaders of an actual congregation.
____________________________________________________________________________________
CALA-NY - May 9, 2012
Wednesday May 9th in the morning, will be the court hearing for Moishe Turner in New City, NY. Please attend, and show the judge that Jews don’t tolerate molesters.
Rockland County Criminal Court
1 South Main Street
New City, NY 10956
1 South Main Street
New City, NY 10956
Date: 05/09/2012
Part: WAK
Party Name: TURNER, MOISHE
Room: 4
Case Number: 00140-2012
Case Attorney: GRIBETZ, KEN
Judge: KELLY,W
Charge: 130.45-01
Part: WAK
Party Name: TURNER, MOISHE
Room: 4
Case Number: 00140-2012
Case Attorney: GRIBETZ, KEN
Judge: KELLY,W
Charge: 130.45-01
____________________________________________________________________________________
2 convictions in Orthodox child sex cases
LoHud - January 18, 2013
NEW CITY — Two members of Rockland’s Orthodox Jewish
community have pleaded guilty to charges of sexually abusing children,
heartening children protection advocates who have been pushing for
increased awareness and prosecutions of such cases. A third man is
facing pre-trial hearings in County Court.
A 58-year-old Monsey man admitted in court Friday that he had anal sex with a 14-year-old boy.
The admission came after a judge promised the man a sentence of 10 years’ probation to spare the child from having to testify.
Moishe
Turner of 5 Dana Road, a heavy-set man with a long beard streaked with
gray, had been accused of having anal and oral sex with the boy on seven
occasions during July 2011.
Turner
was the second person who avoided incarceration this week by pleading
guilty to a sexual crime involving a child. He’s been free on $75,000
bail and awaits sentencing March 19.
Herschel
Taubenfeld, 33, once a teacher in the New Square Hasidic community,
admitted forcible touching a young boy during 2011. The admission came
in exchange for six years’ probation on a misdemeanor charge handled in
New Square Justice Court.
Taubenfeld
originally had been charged in December 2011 with with 10 counts of
forcible touching, 10 counts of endangering the welfare of a child and
10 counts of third-degree sex abuse, all misdemeanors.
Another man, Dovid Kohn of Monsey, 59, faces 40 criminal counts of having oral sex with a girl when she was between 12 and 15.
Kohn
is currently challenging telephone conversations between him and the
girl taped by police as inaudible at pretrial hearings in Rockland
County Court. Prosecutors and Ramapo police said the girl, now in her
20s, remains a witness in the case.
Shmuel
Dym, 32, of Monsey is fighting his guilty plea to sexually molesting a
boy. Supreme Court Justice William Kelly has twice turned down Dym’s
request to withdraw his guilty plea.
The
increased prosecution of sex attacks on children within the Hasidic and
ultra-Orthodox community has been welcomed by advocates for children.
The advocates said police and prosecutors are just skimming the surface,
arguing there are unreported sexual attacks on children.
"The epidemic of child-molestation threatens an entire generation of
children,” said Monsey-based Rabbi Noson Leiter, founder of Help Rescue
Our Children. “Many of these molesters are arrogant, narcissistic,
deceptive, and downright evil. Even though some of them appear unable to
control themselves, that is because of choices they repeatedly and
intentionally made.”Leiter, a leader of
Torah Jews for Decency in Monsey, said Taubenfeld’s guilty plea “is a
trail-blazing case — the first in which a survivor from within New
Square prosecuted a molester within the community.”
He said he hopes other families will find the strength to come forward and fight off community pressure not to report sexual abuse. He praised the Ramapo police for their efforts when told about children being abused.
"Taubenfeld's own admission to molestation charges also confirms that current New Square leadership who clearly failed to stop this vile, manipulative ‘educator’ and is unqualified to deal with the molestation crisis,” Leiter said.
Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said the religious community has been more open with police and prosecutors. He said historically the major issue confronting law enforcement was the “insular community often protected the accused at the expense of the victims.”
Zugibe said he was encouraged by the Taubenfeld case. He said families in the religious community have “recognized finally that if you protect the victims all you are doing is creating a new generation of offenders and victims.”
“In the latest cases, particularly Taubenfeld, I have to credit the community for being more forthcoming,” Zugibe said. “We have a long way to go. I am hopeful this is a new trend.”
Families face being kicked out of the religious community and having their children denied schooling and services.
The family of the boy abused by Turner faced pressure from the community leaders to drop out of the case, authorities said.
Prosecutor Jennifer Parietti said Friday in court that Zugibe approved the no-prison sentence for Turner.
He said he hopes other families will find the strength to come forward and fight off community pressure not to report sexual abuse. He praised the Ramapo police for their efforts when told about children being abused.
"Taubenfeld's own admission to molestation charges also confirms that current New Square leadership who clearly failed to stop this vile, manipulative ‘educator’ and is unqualified to deal with the molestation crisis,” Leiter said.
Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said the religious community has been more open with police and prosecutors. He said historically the major issue confronting law enforcement was the “insular community often protected the accused at the expense of the victims.”
Zugibe said he was encouraged by the Taubenfeld case. He said families in the religious community have “recognized finally that if you protect the victims all you are doing is creating a new generation of offenders and victims.”
“In the latest cases, particularly Taubenfeld, I have to credit the community for being more forthcoming,” Zugibe said. “We have a long way to go. I am hopeful this is a new trend.”
Families face being kicked out of the religious community and having their children denied schooling and services.
The family of the boy abused by Turner faced pressure from the community leaders to drop out of the case, authorities said.
Prosecutor Jennifer Parietti said Friday in court that Zugibe approved the no-prison sentence for Turner.
Turner faced seven years in state prison under the felony charge. The
case was down for a pretrial hearing with Ramapo Detectives Peg
Braddock and Robert Fitzgerald ready to testify.
She told Kelly that she supported the sentence “to spare this victim the difficulties of the trial.”
“The victim is under tremendous pressure,” she said. “This plea will relieve that.”
Turner admitted he had anal sex with the boy under questioning from Parietti in July 2011. He admitted he knew the boy was 14, making him incapable of consent under the law.
Turner’s lawyer, former District Attorney Kenneth Gribetz, said after court that he’s not aware of any rabbi or religious community leader putting pressure of the boy or his family.
“Our hope is the victim can go on with his life,” Gribetz said. “There was no pressure from the community. I think justice will be served. Our client is very sorry and he’s happy to put this behind him.”
Turner, who prayed before court, doesn’t speak fluent English. He speaks Yiddish and needed a translator to tell him what was being discussed in court and for his responses.
Kelly and Gribetz made sure Turner agreed he was voluntarily pleading guilty to the charges and signed a waiver giving up his right to appeal.
“The victim is under tremendous pressure,” she said. “This plea will relieve that.”
Turner admitted he had anal sex with the boy under questioning from Parietti in July 2011. He admitted he knew the boy was 14, making him incapable of consent under the law.
Turner’s lawyer, former District Attorney Kenneth Gribetz, said after court that he’s not aware of any rabbi or religious community leader putting pressure of the boy or his family.
“Our hope is the victim can go on with his life,” Gribetz said. “There was no pressure from the community. I think justice will be served. Our client is very sorry and he’s happy to put this behind him.”
Turner, who prayed before court, doesn’t speak fluent English. He speaks Yiddish and needed a translator to tell him what was being discussed in court and for his responses.
Kelly and Gribetz made sure Turner agreed he was voluntarily pleading guilty to the charges and signed a waiver giving up his right to appeal.
____________________________________________________________________________________
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.
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.
____________________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment