Case of Eyal Golan
Singer - Tel Aviv, Israel
Allegations were made of child sexual abuse with teenage girls. On February 5, 2014 State drops all charges against Eyal Golan, prosecutors cite lack of evidence as reason for closing case.
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Table of Contents:
2013
- Top Israeli singer at center of sex crimes investigation (11/14/2013)
- Suspicion: Famous singer had sex with 15-year-old girl (11/14/2013)
- Singing star still not questioned over statutory rape claims, as police probe continues (11/17/2013)
- Israeli Pop Star at Center of Sex Scandal (11/20/2013)
- Eyal Golan detained in underage sex scandal (11/20/2013)
- Eyal Golan released on house arrest after questioning over statutory rape allegations (11/20/2013)
- Eyal Golan revealed to be mystery singer suspected of sex with underage girls (11/20/2013)
- Tel Aviv court extends remand of Eyal Golan's father by four days (11/21/2013)
- Police question Eyal Golan again, judge extends father’s custody (11/22/2013)
- Police: Underage girl linked to Eyal Golan case missing (11/22/2013)
- Israeli singer Eyal Golan unlikely to be charged in underage sex scandal (11/25/2013)
- Report: 4 complainants in Eyal Golan case questioned on suspicion of lying to police (12/19/2013)
- Four set to be indicted in Eyal Golan underage sex scandal (12/22/2013)
2014
- U.S. Jewish center nixes Eyal Golan gig over sex scandal (01/17/2014)
- San Diego JCC said to drop Eyal Golan show over sex allegations (01/18/2014)
- Report: San Diego JCC cancels planned show by singer Eyal Golan over sex allegations (01/19/2014)
- Jewish center canceled singer’s show (01/21/2014)
- Israeli singer Eyal Golan in the clear after girls admit to lying, Ch. 2 reports (01/28/2014)
- Singer Eyal Golan proclaims innocence in sex scandal (02/02/2014)
- State drops all charges against Eyal Golan (02/05/2014)
- Charges dropped against Israeli singer Eyal Golan (02/05/2014)
Also see:
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By Ben Hartman
Jerusalem Post - November 14, 2013
Two famous Israeli singers, including one of the country’s most prominent celebrities, are at the center of a sex-crimes case that first broke late Wednesday night, which reportedly includes allegations of statutory rape that took place on a number of occasions with underage girls.
On Wednesday night, a 15-year-old girl issued a complaint to Tel Aviv Police saying she had consensual sex with one of the singers on a number of occasions in recent months. When asked how many times they allegedly had sexual relations, a Tel Aviv Police source said the complaint reads that “it wasn’t a onetime thing.”
She also gave testimony to investigators on Thursday, as did a number of other underage girls who met with police the same day to describe their relationship with the singers.
The source said they are also probing the possibility that other men who know the singers were involved. In addition, they are checking if the girl was supplied with drugs by the singers during the meetings.
A number of Israeli outlets also reported that there is video evidence of one of the sex acts, but police did not confirm the existence of such a recording on Thursday.
Though the identity of the main suspect is protected under a seven-day gag order, a widely read Israeli blogger posted the man’s name in an entry on Wednesday night, which the singer himself responded to on Facebook and Instagram.
In the post, the singer wrote “to all of my fans and people who love me. I am writing this from a club in Tel Aviv. I see the character assassination being waged against me by [the blogger].
But I don’t see any need to respond to someone who spent his whole life suffering at the hands of others, a picked-on kid whose site will be shut down very soon I promise you. Thank God, everything is fine with me.
I’m working, performing, going out, and preparing a winter performance that all of you can enjoy. I love all of you. God willing, we will meet soon only in happy circumstances and concerts.”
The posts were later removed.
Police said the main suspect and the other singer are both expected to be called in for questioning in the coming days.
The blogger who violated the gag order on the case was questioned under caution by Tel Aviv police, on suspicion of tampering with the investigation by revealing the singer's identity.
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Suspicion: Famous singer had sex with 15-year-old girl
By Eli Senyor
YNet News - November 14, 2013
Police are examining complaint lodged by 15-year-girl according to which she had sex with famous Israeli singer, occasionally with additional minor, drug usage
Tel Aviv District Police received a complaint Wednesday according to which a famous Israel singer allegedly had sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl.
As of now, the investigation was conducted under the auspices of the police's juvenile department which has attempted to collect evidence and additional information regarding the complaint.
One of the severest claims being investigated is that the singer's friends were involved in the intercourse and that he also had sexual relations with additional minors.
The singer has not yet been arrested or even taken in for questioning, and according to the evidence currently in the police's possession, the sexual relations were undertaken under some form of consent.
According to suspicions, the minor involved arrived Wednesday at the Tel Aviv District police station seeking to file a complaint against the famous singer.
According to her statement, the two had sexual relations a number of time and with her agreement. The girl also noted thatsoft drug usage took place in a couple of the encounters.
Because of the case's sensitive nature the investigation has been passed onto Tel Aviv police's central investigation unit. Investigators are currently attempting to get in touch with an additional female minor who according to the complainant was also involved in the sexual relations with her and the famous singer.
According to sources within the police department, the girl's testimony seemed completely credible, but nonetheless needs to be further examined. Such an examination, the source said, should be conducted under complete secrecy and was suppose to be done so in the upcoming days.
However, now with the story's publication the police will move quickly to get the singer's version of events in the upcoming day or two.
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Singing star still not questioned over statutory rape claims, as police probe continues
By Ben Hartman
Jerusalem Post - November 17, 2013
Detectives from the Tel Aviv police district are continuing to collect testimony from underage girls regarding the investigation against a famous singer suspected of committing statutory rape.
For the last few days, suspicion has been cast on the singer’s father, who it is believed may have played a central part in the affair, which reportedly involved girls as young as 14 and 15 who were invited to karaoke parties at a Tel Aviv apartment that the singer and other associates frequented. At a number of these parties, the allegations state, the singer and his friends did drugs and on some occasions had sexual relations with the girls.
The media has been rife with reports that people close to the singer “scouted” girls at his concerts and invited them to the parties, a report that police would not confirm on Sunday.
The case, which broke last week and has dominated the media since, involves one of Israel’s most famous singers and a complaint made by one 15-year-old girl that she had sexual relations with him on more than one occasion.
That allegation has been followed by testimony from other girls believed to be linked to the case, which was first opened months earlier.
The singer himself has still not been questioned, nor has a separate, less famous singer linked to the case. Over the weekend police said that they are in the process of collecting testimony and will only question the singer under caution if they believe there is enough evidence that a crime actually took place, something that they said they have not yet been able to determine.
Omri Hayoon, the blogger who broke the case by violating a gag order last Wednesday, was questioned under caution by police over the weekend on suspicion of obstruction of justice.
On Saturday night he issued a complaint to Tel Aviv police saying that he feels that his life is in danger, largely because of what he said was incitement against him, largely from
prominent public-relations man Rani Rahav, who in recent days has been outspoken in his criticism of Hayoon.
The singer, for his part, said during a concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday night that “I had a difficult day, I could have canceled, but music conquers all.”
People close to the singer have said that in the midst of the controversy he plans to continue his public and TV appearances and will not make any cancellations.
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Israeli Pop Star at Center of Sex Scandal
By David Caspi
Hollywood Reporter - November 20, 2013
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Israeli Pop Star at Center of Sex Scandal
By David Caspi
Hollywood Reporter - November 20, 2013
Popular recording artist -- and "Rising Star" judge -- Eyal Golan was questioned by police about an alleged sexual encounter with a minor.
Popular Israeli recording artist Eyal Golan was detained for questioning at Tel Aviv Police Headquarters Wednesday, surrounding allegations he engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old minor. Reportedly, Golan was at the center of a ring that included his father, manager and other associates who scouted teenage female fans during concerts for post-show hotel room excursions, which included sex and drug consumption.
Word of the scandal already broke in Israel almost a week ago, but came with a gag order on Golan’s name. However, his identity was known to most Israelis almost instantly, whether through a simple process of elimination or online word of mouth. Speculation regarding charges became more intense at the beginning of the week, when Golan appeared as scheduled on Channel 2’s Keshet Broadcasting’s Rising Star talent competition show, on which he serves as a judge. The Sunday show opened with host Assi Azar saying that after thorough legal deliberations, the show would go on as planned. He did not acknowledge exact details of what was then only referred to as “leaks and rumors.”
According to Israel’s Channel 2 News, Golan stated in his investigation this morning that he had no knowledge of the girl in question’s real age, admitting he had multiple sexual partners in those reported incidents. While Golan's father remains in custody, the star's attorneys managed to have him released to home arrest. A gag order for two other well-known singers involved in the scandal is still on, with their alleged names also circulating locally via social media.
Following this morning’s official investigation upon lift of the gag order, Keshet released a statement that it has suspended Golan’s participation in its flagship show effective immediately, while also announcing it is halting production on Golan's own reality singing competition show, Eyal Golan Is Calling You, which aired for three seasons on the franchiser’s Music 24 cable channel. No word yet on how his absence will be dealt with on Rising Star, currently more than halfway through its inaugural season, which has been a tremendous success for Keshet in recent weeks. The format, which already has been acquired for a number of big European markets, was recently acquired by ABC for a summer 2014 U.S. launch.
Eyal Golan, 42, is considered one of the biggest names in Israel. He is the leading Mizrahi-pop genre artist, with 15 studio albums to date, and is perhaps the most sought-after performer in the country. Golan was married to former Miss Israel Ilanit Levy, and the two have a son and a daughter. During the past several days, Golan chose to take to his official Facebook page, before his name was officially made known, where he claimed he is the victim of vicious slander.
Shortly before news of the sex scandal broke, Golan was already in the middle of a legal battle -- along with his senior managers, he was indicted for tax evasion totaling approximately $705,000. Last month a local nonprofit organization, The Movement for Quality Government, demanded his exclusion from Rising Star, along with fellow Mizrahi singer Moshe Peretz, who is part of The X Factor Israel judging panel and faces similar accusations.
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Eyal Golan detained in underage sex scandal
By Eli Senyor
YNET News - November 20, 2013
After week of rumors, court clears for publication that famous Israeli singer is suspected of statutory rape of underage female fans. Golan detained for questioning along with father
Eyal Golan is the "famous singer" whose alleged sex scandal with underage female fans has been topping headlines in Israel in recent days, but barred from publication by court order.
Wednesday, after being taken in for questioning, Golan himself permitted his name to be published effectively ending the gag order. Nonetheless, his case has highlighted both the sterility of such court orders – which have no control over social media – and the decedent and at times lawless lifestyle of Israel's Mediterranean music scene's stars.
Despite the countless rumors flooding the nation regarding the "singer and underage girls scandal" – as it has been dubbed while the court order was in place – Golan was only taken into questioning for the first time Wednesday and has yet to be charged.
He is suspected of multiple counts of statutory rape as well as soft drug usage with minors. During his investigation, Golan allegedly claimed to not have known the girls in question were underage; Golan also denied claims he had used drugs.
Golan was detained for questioning together with his father, a public relations manager, an employee and an additional singer whose name has still not been cleared for publication.
Golan's father is also suspected of sexual intercourse with underage girls as well as organizing meetings for young female fans with his son. Golan's hotel room, where his is currently residing, as well as his father's house, were both searched.
On Wednesday morning, Golan's representatives announced that he would suspend himself from the judging panel of the Rising Star show – a musical competition aired on the Keshet concession holder – as well as putting on hold his own musical competition program – Eyal Golan is calling you – aired on Channel 24.
Golan's fans and family members expressed disbelief at the allegations. "There is a difference between liking young women and going (out) with minors. This is something that makes no sense for those that know him."
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Eyal Golan released on house arrest after questioning over statutory rape allegations
By Ben Hartman
Jerusalem Post - November 20, 2013
Singer's father is believed to have exploited son's fame in order to have sexual relations with underage girls.
Singer Eyal Golan was released on house arrest Wednesday night after almost 12 hours of questioning by detectives at the Tel Aviv police headquarters, as part of his involvement in a sex crimes case. He is expected to return for further questioning on Thursday morning.
The case involves allegations that he and four other defendants had sex and did drugs with underage girls.
The other defendants, who were brought in by police on Wednesday, included Golan’s father, a Tel Aviv promoter, an employee of Golan’s and the manager of a national radio station.
On Wednesday evening Golan and two other suspects were released, while his father and one other suspect were kept in custody until a remand hearing Thursday morning in Tel Aviv.
Another Mizrahi-genre singer, Maor Edri, was brought in for questioning on Wednesday and released shortly thereafter.
He said he knew nothing of the case and denied any personal acquaintance with Golan.
It is believed that the most serious charges in the case – pandering of minors and using drugs with minors, will be directed at Golan’s father, while the singer himself will face statutory rape charges and possibly charges for using drugs with minors.
Golan’s defense is expected to be that he did not know that the girls in question were underage.
So far several girls have testified to police, who are working to check the veracity of their testimony.
It has been widely reported that police are trying to locate videos that were made of some of the alleged encounters and that they have managed to get their hands on a number of text messages sent between some of the defendants that refer to the alleged sex acts.
Police are trying to track down gifts that Golan and other defendants allegedly bought some of the girls.
Golan’s father is at the center of the case, and is believed to have exploited his son’s fame in order to have sex with underage girls.
The promoter has been suspected of taking money in order to supply girls for karaoke parties held at a Tel Aviv apartment, where some of the sex acts allegedly took place.
On Wednesday Golan’s attorneys waived his right to remain anonymous, thus ending a weeklong and at times absurd saga revolving around a gag order on Golan’s name. This came long after his identity as “the famous singer” was widely known to the public.
Over the weekend, the blogger, Omri Hayoon, who broke the case by violating a gag order last Wednesday was questioned under caution by police on suspicion of obstruction of justice.
Hayoon submitted a police complaint against public relations man Rani Rahav, who represents Golan, saying that he has led a campaign of incitement against him and he fears for his life.
The case first broke last Wednesday night, and initial reports revolved around allegations made by a single 15- year-old girl who said she had sex with Golan on more than one occasion.
Since then the case has expanded to reportedly include a large number of girls who were “scouted” by associates of Golan and who were brought to parties and events attended by the singer, his father and his friends.
On Wednesday Rahav’s public relations firm sent out an announcement saying that Golan was stepping down as a judge on the singing contest television program Rising Star, and Keshet announced that it would not be running an additional season of Golan’s singing contest Eyal Golan Is Calling You.
Golan’s attorney Ronen Rosenbloom said Wednesday at police headquarters that his client “believes in himself” and that “the investigation is still being carried out and when it’s finished we’ll issue our version of events.”
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Eyal Golan revealed to be mystery singer suspected of sex with underage girls
By Ben Hartman
Jerusalem Post - November 20, 2013
Singer, 4 other suspects brought in for questioning; Golan reportedly claims he didn't know girls were underage.
The famous singer suspected of engaging in sexual relations with underage girls is Eyal Golan, it was revealed Wednesday after a gag order on his identity was lifted.
Almost a week after a scandal involving the famous Israeli singer and allegations of sex with underage girls broke, the singer, his father, and three other men were brought in for questioning on Wednesday, Tel Aviv police said. Golan's name was not supposed to be released until 48 hours after he was officially brought in for questioning, but his lawyer waived his right to remain anonymous.
In addition to Golan, those being investigated include the manager of a well-known radio station and a Tel Aviv promoter.
The case, which broke last week and has dominated the media since, involves, Golan, one of Israel’s most famous singers and a complaint made by one 15-year-old girl that she had sexual relations with him on more than one occasion.
The media has been rife with reports that people close to Golan “scouted” girls at his concerts and invited them to the parties, a report that police would not confirm on Sunday.
That allegation has been followed by testimony from other girls believed to be linked to the case, which was first opened months earlier.
According to Israeli media reports, Golan claims that he was not aware that the girl's in question were underage.
Omri Hayoon, the blogger who broke the case by violating a gag order last Wednesday, was questioned under caution by police over the weekend on suspicion of obstruction of justice.
On Saturday night he issued a complaint to Tel Aviv police saying that he feels that his life is in danger because of what he said was incitement against him, largely from prominent public-relations man Rani Rahav, who in recent days has been outspoken in his criticism of Hayoon.
Golan, for his part, said during a concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday night that “I had a difficult day, I could have canceled, but music conquers all.”
Golan announced Wednesday that he was stepping down as a judge on the singing contest television program, "Rising Star," and Keshet announced that it would not be running an additional season of another Golan singing contest program, "Eyal Golan is calling you."
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Tel Aviv court extends remand of Eyal Golan's father by four days
Remand also extended of employee at Golan's production company; famous Israeli singer under house arrest, as are two other suspects.
By Yaniv Kubovich
Haaretz - November 21, 2013
The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court extended by four days the remand Thursday of two men at the center of an underage sex scandal.
According to the police request filed at the court, Danny Biton, father of famous Israeli singer Eyal Golan, and Tsahi Asulin, who works at Golan's production company, Liam Productions, are suspected of statutory rape, inciting a minor to drug use and procuring minors.
Golan was released to house arrest Wednesday night after more than 13 hours of police questioning at Tel Aviv District's Central Unit. Golan and two of the other suspects in the case were put under house arrest for five days.
In his decision Thursday morning, Judge Shmuel Melamed wrote that “in viewing the evidence I found reasonable grounds to back these suspicions. Reading the statements that these suspects gave to the police shows that they differ from others involved in this case who were placed under house arrest. The charges against these suspects are grave. It is morally heinous to exploit the innocence of young girls who are attracted to the glamour of the suspects.”
The Tel Aviv district police decided to reach an agreement in court to extend the arrest of Biton and Asuline because, according to the investigation material gathered thus far, there is a suspicion that the two were responsible for organizing the events during which the alleged offenses attributed to all those involved occurred. The two are suspected of exploiting their close relationship with Golan to give the underage girls hope that they could come and spend time in the singer's company.
Golan's driver was also questioned by police after being summoned to the central unit Thursday morning. The driver is suspected of sexual offenses committed against the underage girls. His attorney Shahar Hetzroni said in response that "He is not connected to the major, broader affair. This is a localized event that the police wanted to investigate. I estimate that he'll be released within a few hours."
Police raided the houses of a number of suspects Wednesday morning, including those of Biton and Asulin.
The Tel Aviv District Police hope to conclude the investigation in the next few days and reveal the identities of the other suspects.
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Police question Eyal Golan again, judge extends father’s custody
By Yaniv Kubovich
Haaretz - November 22, 2013
Police summoned singer Eyal Golan for another interview Thursday about the extent of his alleged role in a sex scandal involving teenage girls as young as 15. Golan’s father and an assistant are suspected of exploiting the vocal superstar’s celebrity to have sex with underage girls.
A Tel Aviv court Thursday extended by four days the detention of Golan’s father, Danny Biton, and of Tzachi Asulin, an assistant and manager in Golan’s production company. The two are suspected of statutory rape, inciting a minor to drug use and procuring minors, growing out of their alleged organization and participation in parties and gatherings at which the alleged sexual acts with underage girls took place.
The police’s main problem in the investigation is the reluctance of the girls, who are all Golan’s fans, to testify in court against him, a police source said. Also, some of their testimony appears to be exaggerated as the girls sought to play up the closeness of their connection to the star, the source added.
However, a police source stressed Thursday that the claims that the girls had lied about the events to get attention are groundless. The police official said the girls’ statements shed light on the modus operandi of Golan and the other suspects.
The girls testified that on several occasions Asulin, who was in charge of the contestants in the singer’s TV talent scouting show, “Eyal Golan is Calling You,” allegedly used his position to obtain sexual favors.
All the contestants auditioning for the show knew Asulin was a powerful man who was close to Golan. Asulin is suspected of picking the girls who were “to his taste” and promising to take them to a VIP room where they would meet Golan. In exchange, Asulin allegedly got the girls to let him take part in the sexual acts.
Golan’s father, Biton, is suspected of working in a similar fashion. Some of the girls told police that in exchange for a meeting with Golan and tickets to his performances, they engaged in sexual relations with Biton. He would also bring them to meetings with the other suspects in the affair, the girls said.
During the day police questioned 10 suspects in the case, including Golan’s driver and confidant. Golan himself had been put under house arrest for five days on Wednesday night after more than 13 hours of police questioning. Two of the other suspects in the case were also put under house arrest for five days.
In the ruling extending Biton and Asulin’s custody, Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court Judge Shmuel Melamed wrote, “The allegations against these suspects are grave. It is morally heinous to exploit the innocence of young girls who are attracted to the suspects’ glamour.”
Golan’s driver, who was also questioned by police Thursday, is suspected of having sexual contact with underage girls. His attorney Shahar Hetzroni said his client “is not connected to the major affair. This is a specific event the police wanted to investigate. I estimate he’ll be released within a few hours.”
The singer Omer Adam was also called in to give evidence Thursday. Police sources said Adam is not suspected of being involved in the sex scandal, but since he had attended some of the parties they wanted to take his testimony about the goings on and the people who attended them.
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Police: Underage girl linked to Eyal Golan case missing
By Ben Hartman
Jerusalem Post - November 22, 2013
Girl reportedly ran away due to parents' plan to send her to boarding school; Mizrahi-genre singer Omer Adam to testify next week.
An underage girl linked to the recent Eyal Golan scandal has been missing since Thursday night and did not show up for school on Friday, police say.
She apparently ran away because of her parents' decision to put her in boarding school beginning Sunday.
Police also released the name of another Mizrahi-genre singer, Omer Adam, who will testify on the case next week, after his name came up in the investigation.
The case involves allegations that Golan and four other defendants had sex and did drugs with underage girls. The other defendants, who were brought in by police on Wednesday, included Golan’s father, 61-year-old Dani Biton, a Tel Aviv promoter, an employee of Golan’s and the manager of a national radio station.
A Tel Aviv judge ruled on Thursday that there is evidence of underage teenage girls wanting to “touch the glamor” surrounding singer Golan, and they were exploited by his father and associates for sexual favors. The judge ordered the two suspects held for a further four days.
Golan was released on house arrest Wednesday night after almost 12 hours of questioning by detectives at the Tel Aviv police headquarters.
Another Mizrahi-genre singer, Maor Edri, was brought in for questioning on Wednesday and released shortly after he said he knew nothing of the case and denied any personal acquaintance with Golan.
Israeli singer Eyal Golan unlikely to be charged in underage sex scandalFocus in case shifts toward two figures in Golan's production company.
By Yaiv Kubovich
Haaretz - November 25, 2013
Police have decided not to extend the remand of singer Eyal Golan who was arrested over a week ago in connection with a sex scandal involving underage girls and had been under house arrest until Sunday.
He was released from house arrest along with public relations man Oded Moyal and a media personality whose identity is being protected by gag order.
Golan’s father Danny Biton and associate Tzachi Asulin, an assistant and manager in Golan’s production company, have had their remands extended by another four days. Once the two are released from police custody, they will be placed under house arrest.
The investigation into what police suspect is a case of using the superstar’s celebrity to have sex with underage girls, is coming to a close.
Prosecutors are unlikely to file an indictment against Golan, but charges are expected against Biton and Asulin, who police believe were the dominant figures in the affair. Evidence including a testimony from one of the girls who said she told Biton she was late for school, raises suspicions he knew she was a minor.
Police accused Asulin during a recent court hearing of having sex several times with one of the minors who was a his relative. He took advantage of her by promising to arrange a meet with Golan, acording to suspicions.
Several of the suspects in the case were brought in to face the minors in a joint interrogation. In the case of Golan, the police decided not hold a face-to-face interrogation, because they thought that the minors, who are fans of the singer, would not cooperate.
A meeting between one of the minors and Biton in police presence on Saturday was cut short when the minor admitted she had lied in her statement, then got up and left the room.
On Saturday, singer Omer Adam delivered a statement to the police. Adam, police had learned, attended a party at the home of the unnamed media man and another party at Golan’s home. Adam was not accused of having sex with any of the minors but rather was asked to recount what he had seen at the events.
The Tel Aviv Police Central Unit said that though they are having a hard time building cases against those involved, the charges were grave and that they are still gathering information in the investigation. All the girls testified to having sex with Golan. He does not deny that sex happened, but only that he had no knowledge of their true age. The suspects in the case say they thought they were getting involved with 20-year-old women who had previously worked at a strip club.
A police official said on Sunday the investigation “was looking into the suspicions” the minors had sex with other people not yet implicated in the scandal.
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Report: 4 complainants in Eyal Golan case questioned on suspicion of lying to police
Channel 2 reports that Israeli singer will not be indicted in underage sex case; Golan: I was waiting for the truth to come to light.
Jerusalem Post - December 19, 2013
Police are investigating suspicions that the first four underage girls who complained to police in the Eyal Golan affair gave false testimony, Channel 2 reported.
According to the suspicions, the complainants in question, ages 15-17, told various lies to police investigators. Channel 2 reported that one girl falsely claimed to have told police that Golan impregnated her and she was forced to get an abortion.
The girls were questioned by police in recent weeks in regard to their false testimony. According to Channel 2, Golan will not be indicted in the affair.
Pending indictments against Golan's father, Dani Biton, and three other associates of the singer are not based on the testimony of the four girls in question, but on the testimony of three additional minors whose testimony was found to be truthful, according to the report.
Golan reacted to the Channel 2 report in an interview with the station, stating that he had been "waiting for the truth to come to light."
Golan was revealed to be the mystery singer allegedly involved in an affair involving sexual relations with underage girls last month, after a gag order on his identity was lifted.
The singer was taken in for questioning in the affair and served five days house arrest.
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Four set to be indicted in Eyal Golan underage sex scandal
Case complicated by the number of false or exaggerated testimonies by young girls who came forward to police at beginning of investigation.
By Yaniv Kubovich
Haaretz - December 22, 2013
Police officials say four indictments are likely in the investigation into an underage sex ring involving associates of singer Eyal Golan. The case has been complicated by the false or exaggerated testimonies of a number of young girls questioned by police about the affair.
Many of the girls apparently exaggerated, falsifying stories originally told to police regarding many of the suspects involved in the case.
Police officials had been suspicious from the beginning, when an unusually high number of minors came forward to testify.
Police now believe there is some truth to the stories told by the young girls, but that some exaggerations were involved as well.
One young girl told police she became pregnant after having sexual intercourse with the suspects. Upon further investigation, police tried to ascertain the identity of the father, and found that the account was completely false.
Another girl testified that she was accompanied by Eyal Golan’s father, Danny Biton, to a luxurious villa in Caesarea following a performance. That story also proved to be false. Despite the false testimonies, police officials estimate there will be indictments against Biton, Tzachi Asulin (a worker at Golan’s production company) and two others, but Golan himself will not be indicted.
The investigation began after the police received information from one of the girls involved regarding trafficking of minors. The name of Golan’s father came up as a suspect, and the police began discreet surveillance. Police officials claim they have enough evidence to bring Biton to trial.
Issuing an indictment against Golan, who admitted having sexual relations with a minor, is more complicated. The police do not have the same amount of evidence, and, due to the false testimonies, it would be difficult to get the courts to agree to indict the singer.
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U.S. Jewish center nixes Eyal Golan gig over sex scandal
Army Radio reports that San Diego Jewish community center calls off concert after complaints.
Haaretz - January 17, 2014
A San Diego Jewish community center canceled a planned performance by Israeli singer Eyal Golan following a sex scandal involving the singer's father and several associates, Army Radio reported on Friday.
According to the report, the show scheduled for January 19 was nixed due to objections from members of the Jewish community who felt it was inappropriate for the performer to appear at their center.
Golan was arrested late last year in connection to a sex scandal involving underage girls, and admitted to police that he has sex with a minor but didn't know the girl was a minor at the time.
He is not being charged, but police have said four others, including the singer's father, are likely to be indicted. The singer's father and other associates are suspected of exploiting Golan's celebrity to have sex with underage girls, and are suspected of statutory rape, inducing a minor to use drugs and procuring minors.
Golan has been touring elsewhere in the United States, and now his fans in San Diego are angry about the cancellation, Army Radio reports.
Yigal Amsalem, a fan of the singer who was helping sell tickets for the event, told Army Radio, "Bringing Eyal Golan to San Diego is no small thing. He was acquitted in court. I don’t understand what justification the community has to come and vilify him in this way."
On the show's Facebook event page, another fan, Sharon Bousidan Amsalem, wrote in Hebrew: "Unfortunately, the JCC has canceled the event following the reports in the last two months. The San Diego morality police decided that it is inappropriate for Eyal to perform here." She added that a protest letter had been posted on the JCC's Facebook page, but it has since been removed.
Golan's rep in Israel, Ran Rahav, told Army Radio the issue was being examined.
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San Diego JCC said to drop Eyal Golan show over sex allegations
Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center cancels concert amid suspicion Israeli singer had sex with minors
JTA - January 18, 2014
Jewish community center in San Diego cancelled a concert by Eyal Golan amid suspicions that the Israeli singer had sex with minors, an Israeli radio station reported.
Golan was slated to perform Jan. 19 at a concert which was advertised as late as Jan. 10 on the website of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in San Diego. The show has since been removed from the website.
According to the report Friday by Army Radio, the center decided to drop the show because of protests by members of the Jewish community who found it inappropriate because of the sex investigation.
Police briefly arrested Golan and his father in November because several underage girls said they had sex with them. Golan has denied the allegations. Police last month questioned some of the witnesses and alleged victims under warning on suspicion they had lied.
One of the organizers of the concert, Yigal Amsalem, told Army Radio he and his associates were considering suing the community center.
“Bringing Eyal Golan over to San Diego is no small matter,” he said in an interview Thursday. “How could they have cancelled a concert one week in advance and for no good reason? They will pay for this in legal costs in a lawsuit by Eyal Golan and by us.”
The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in San Diego was not immediately available for comment.
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Report: San Diego JCC cancels planned show by singer Eyal Golan over sex allegations
JTA - January 19, 2014
Golan's show, due to take place Jan. 19, was dropped due to protests of the Jewish community following sex investigation.
A Jewish community center in San Diego cancelled a concert by Eyal Golan amid suspicions that the Israeli singer had sex with minors, an Israeli radio station reported.
Golan was slated to perform Jan. 19 at a concert which was advertised as late as Jan. 10 on the website of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in San Diego. The show has since been removed from the website.
According to the report Friday by Army Radio, the center decided to drop the show because of protests by members of the Jewish community who found it inappropriate because of the sex investigation.
Police briefly arrested Golan and his father in November because several underage girls said they had sex with them. Golan has denied the allegations. Police last month questioned some of the witnesses and alleged victims under warning on suspicion they had lied.
One of the organizers of the concert, Yigal Amsalem, told Army Radio he and his associates were considering suing the community center.
“Bringing Eyal Golan over to San Diego is no small matter,” he said in an interview Thursday. “How could they have cancelled a concert one week in advance and for no good reason? They will pay for this in legal costs in a lawsuit by Eyal Golan and by us.”
The Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in San Diego was not immediately available for comment.
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Jewish center canceled singer’s show
Eyal Golan suspected of sex with minor
By Don Bauder
San Diego Jewish World - January 21, 2014
Jewish media such as the Jerusalem Post and Jewish Telegraphic Agency are reporting that San Diego’s Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center canceled a performance by singer Eyal Golan because of member protests about Golan’s alleged sexual involvement with underage girls. The show was to have been yesterday (January 19).
The Times of Israel reported in November that Golan, also a reality-TV judge, was interrogated by police. Golan and another singer were accused of sex with minors. Investigators searched the home of the father of one of the singers.
The Jerusalem Post said that one of the organizers of the concert is threatening to sue the Lawrence center.
“Bringing Eyal Golan over to San Diego is no small matter,” Yigal Amsalem told the Post. “How could they have cancelled a concert one week in advance and for no good reason? They will pay for this in legal costs in a lawsuit by Eyal Golan and by us.”
Dan Shapiro, marketing director of Lawrence Family JCC had no comment.
Israeli singer Eyal Golan in the clear after girls admit to lying, Ch. 2 reports
Singer Eyal Golan proclaims innocence in sex scandal
Haaretz - February 2, 2004
State drops all charges against Eyal Golan
By Ben Hartman and Yonah Jeremy Bob
JPost - February 5, 2014
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Israeli singer Eyal Golan in the clear after girls admit to lying, Ch. 2 reports
Golan's father, Danny Biton, and two others are expected to be charged with using Golan's name to have sex with underage girls.
Haaretz - January 28, 2014
Singer Eyal Golan is unlikely to stand trial on underage sex charges after the four girls who accused him admitted under questioning that they had lied, Channel 2 TV reported on Tuesday night.
Transcripts from the investigation, some of which were revealed on TV, indicate that people close to Golan had used his name to seduce underage girls, without the singer having been involved.
Golan's father, his driver and a friend of his are suspected of having sex with underage girls, many of them from broken families, on a regular basis. The singer himself is not suspected of any crime, the channel reported.
The state prosecutor is expected to indict the main suspect, Golan's father Danny Biton, in the near future.
The police investigation lasted for three months, during which the police recorded telephone calls made by Biton. The recordings made it clear that Biton knew that the girls he was having sex with were underage, according to Channel 2.
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Singer Eyal Golan proclaims innocence in sex scandal
But admits using 'poor judgment’ regarding his father, who is suspected of using the singer's name to seduce underage girls.
By Dafna AradHaaretz - February 2, 2004
Popular Israeli singer Eyal Golan, who is under investigation for allegedly having sex with underage girls, issued a letter to the media on Tuesday , proclaiming his innocence.
Golan, along with his father, Danny Biton, and members of the singer’s staff, are suspected of having committed statutory rape and enticing underage girls to use drugs. It is likely that Golan won’t be charged, but his father is expected to be.
In his letter Golan, 42, said his only offense was using “poor judgment,” out of a desire to be close to his father.
Golan said he was prevented from holding a press conference on the affair because of the ongoing investigation and had decided to issue a letter instead in order to explain himself to the public.
In the letter, he noted that plaintiffs who had testified against him were found to have been lying. “Their testimony, which was leaked to the public, created an absurd and confusing situation as if I had done things that should never be done. I wish to clarify that I never committed any act that would dishonor any woman or man in the State of Israel,” he wrote.
“Except for one instance, in which there was an embarrassing situation that I testified about to the police, in which my father came to my home with two women, without my knowledge or consent. One of the women was a young girl who said she was 21 years old. After several minutes I suspected that she was younger. I asked her her age on my own initiative, and she admitted that she was 17 and a half. I left the apartment that very moment so as to avoid compromising her honor.”
Golan wrote that he had fired the staff who had used his name in order to commit improper acts. “Unfortunately, over the years there have been several people around me who, I was amazed to find, used my name falsely for things that appear to be utterly wrong, and this goes against everything I stand for. All my life, I have respected women and men in every way. Unfortunately, I understand that several of the people around me did not act as I did... I regret that from the bottom of my heart. Of course, I dismissed those people immediately.”
After describing his unusual relationship with his father, Golan wrote: “In the near future I will be concentrating on my music, and I hope that the Israeli public will understand that maybe I made an error in judgment in choosing the people close to me, out of my yearning for a good relationship with my father, who abandoned me when I was young, but no more than that. It would seem that any person, even one named Eyal Golan, who is a singer, would want his father close to him, but to my great regret, I was wrong. My biggest disappointment was that I wanted my father!!!”
Golan has complained to police investigators that the case has caused him losses amounting to millions of shekels and cancelled shows, and that his songs are no longer played on the radio.
Orit Sulitzeanu, chairwoman of The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, and television presenters Orly Vilnai and Guy Meroz recently called upon artists not to attend the Eilat Women’s Festival, where Golan is slated to perform. In response, Golan’s attorney, Shai Elias, threatened to sue the association.
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State drops all charges against Eyal Golan
By Ben Hartman and Yonah Jeremy Bob
JPost - February 5, 2014
Popular singer will not be indicted in underage sex scandal; prosecutors cite lack of evidence as reason for closing case.
Almost three months after news of an alleged sex scandal involving Eyal Golan and underage girls broke, the Justice Ministry announced on Wednesday it had closed its case against the singer for lack of sufficient evidence.
“I want to thank my mother, my children, and the fans who supported me the entire time,” Golan said following the announcement. “What I had in my heart, I wrote yesterday.”
Golan had proclaimed his innocence on Tuesday, saying, “For the last three months, I have endured very difficult days. I am aware that the Israeli public is angry and confused over what happened, and I am sorry about this.”
The singer, for years one of the country’s top recording artists, the former host of his own reality-show singing competition, and a judge on a second show, was among several men arrested in November after allegations surfaced that he had sex with minors.
The allegations, which became part of a media storm that dominated the news, involved claims that Golan and his inner circle held “sex parties” involving drugs, where underage girls had sex with men twice their age or older. A few days after the case broke, Golan and five other men were brought in for questioning, though Golan was soon released to house arrest.
From almost the very beginning, the police case and the public narrative focused on Golan’s father, Dani Biton, as well as on an employee of Golan’s, Tsahi Asulin. The two men are still expected to be charged with statutory rape.
Biton, 61, is suspected of exploiting his proximity to his son’s fame to lure underage girls and then having sexual relations with them. He and Asulin are also suspected of giving the girls money and gifts to sleep with them.
As the presiding judge said at Biton’s first remand extension, he “exploited the naiveté of underage girls who wanted a touch of glamour.”
Addressing the case on Tuesday, Golan denied that he knowingly slept with a minor, saying the girl in question misrepresented herself.
“There was an embarrassing situation in which I told police that my father came to my house together with two women without my knowledge or my consent,” Golan said.
“One of the women said that she was 21 years old. I then became suspicious that this girl was younger. I asked her how old she was, and she acknowledged that she was just 17 years old.
“At that moment, I immediately left the apartment in order to avoid doing harm to her honor,” the singer said.
Golan said that he “never committed an act that would be an affront to a woman or a man,” and that the women who made the original allegations against him were caught in a lie.
The singer said that he had dismissed his formerly trusted associates after it became clear that they were involved in “deeds that aren’t to be done.”
He put much of the blame on his father, saying that one of the biggest mistakes he made was letting his father back into his inner circle decades after he abandoned him as a child.
At Biton and Asulin’s first hearing, a police detective said that Asulin knew at least one of the girls was 17, because she is a relative of his, and that there are witnesses who linked him to doing drugs with minors.
From the beginning the case against Golan was plagued by unreliable witnesses, including at least one girl who later recanted her testimony against the singer.
The case has led to a public backlash against Golan, who has seen concerts canceled and a big reduction in the airtime his songs get on radio.
He was asked to step down from his position as a judge on the reality show Hacochav Haba (“The Next Star”).
The Golan case triggered a public debate about the use of court-issued gag orders, in that the press was banned form publishing his name for almost a week, having instead to write “the famous singer” even after most of the public knew that he was the suspect in question.
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Charges dropped against Israeli singer Eyal Golan
JTA - February 5, 2014
The case against Israeli singer Eyal Golan for allegedly having sex with minors was closed due to a lack of evidence.
The Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office made the announcement on Wednesday.
The day before, Golan, 42, released a public letter asserting his innocence and claiming that the case stemmed from his attempts to renew his relationship with his father, something he called “poor judgment” and “a mistake.”
Golan’s father, Danny Biton, is accused of procuring the underage girls for his son and himself. They were arrested and put under house arrest for five days in November amid the allegations.
“I’m aware the public is angry and confused,” Golan, a popular Mizrachi singer, said in his public letter. “I feel as if I’m being hanged in the town square on a huge rope and everyone that passes by throws a brick at me.”
He added, “I wish to clarify that I never committed any act that would dishonor any woman or man in the State of Israel.”
Golan was forced to take a leave of absence from working as a judge on the popular reality show “Rising Star” on Israel’s Channel 2, which completed its first season without him.
A Jewish community center in San Diego canceled a concert by Golan one week before the performance over protests by members of the Jewish community who found it inappropriate because of the investigation.
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