During prayer and on the way to Uman: How the "Grandpa Eliezer" pedophile from the Breslov movement was exposed

The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office filed an indictment today, Monday, in the Jerusalem District Court against 62-year-old Jerusalem resident Eliezer Meshulamson, charging him with committing indecent acts against minors under circumstances of rape.

The indictment reveals that the defendant, a member of the Breslov Hasidic movement, exploited the trust and closeness he had cultivated with children at a Jerusalem synagogue. Known to them as "Grandpa Eliezer," he used this position to harm them on multiple occasions.

According to the charges, the defendant frequently spent time near the children, talking to them, distributing sweets, and even taking them on trips. He allegedly committed the indecent acts during prayers or lessons, employing concealment tactics such as moving tables closer and using tablecloths to hide the minors' lower bodies while pretending to be absorbed in a prayer book or the Torah.

The indictment comprises four separate counts:

1. The first and second counts detail several instances of harming children aged approximately 12 during prayers, taking advantage of the crowded conditions.

2. The third count describes an incident involving a minor on the eve of Shabbat during the intermediate days of Passover in the synagogue.

3. The fourth count details an incident that occurred during a long bus ride to Uman, where the defendant took advantage of the darkness and the fact that most passengers were sleeping to harm a minor sitting next to him.

The prosecution has charged the defendant with indecent acts and attempted indecent acts against a minor under circumstances of rape. Furthermore, the prosecution has notified the court that it will seek an actual prison sentence should the defendant be convicted.