IDF Soldier Detained for Minor Abuse; Former Rabbi Moshe Yazdi Sentenced to 18 Years
An Israeli court extended the detention of a 20-year-old IDF soldier suspected of online sexual offenses against minors. Separately, former rabbi Moshe Yazdi was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexual and financial exploitation of his students.
The detention of a 20-year-old active-duty IDF soldier from Bat Yam, suspected of committing sexual offenses against female minors, was extended on Monday by the court until Thursday, September 10.
According to the investigation, the suspect initiated contact with minors through various social media platforms, in some cases posing as a minor himself, to commit sexual offenses against them. The investigation is being conducted by officers of the Bat Yam police station.
Former Rabbi Moshe Yazdi Sentenced to 18 Years
In a separate case, the Jerusalem District Court sentenced former rabbi Moshe Yazdi to 18 years in prison, along with a suspended sentence and financial compensation to his victims. Yazdi was convicted of a prolonged series of sexual and financial offenses committed by exploiting his position as a rabbi, his religious authority, and the trust and dependence of his female students.
He was convicted, either partially or fully, on four out of nine counts in the indictment. The Jerusalem District Prosecution, represented by attorneys Aviad Dweck and Eyal Lidni, had requested a sentence of at least 20 years in prison, alongside a suspended sentence, significant compensation to the victims, a fine, and the forfeiture of an apartment and other financial assets.
During the sentencing arguments, the prosecution emphasized the extreme severity of the acts and Yazdi's systematic, ongoing pattern of behavior. Prosecutors argued that Yazdi spent years exploiting his religious and social status, the trust of his students, and their personal and spiritual distress to commit sexual offenses against them.
