Well-known Israeli model agent arrested on suspicion of harassment
According to the complainants, the agency owner offered them a free portfolio in exchange for sexual acts. The suspect denied the allegations and was released under restrictive conditions. Reports suggest this behavior may have been ongoing for several years.
A case rocking Israel: A well-known model agent was questioned last weekend at the Lev Tel Aviv police station following suspicions of sexual harassment against several young women who had come to him for headshots. According to a source familiar with the details, the incidents occurred several months ago. The agency is located in a prestigious building in the center of Tel Aviv.
According to the complainants, the agency owner offered them a free portfolio in exchange for sexual acts. The cost of such a portfolio ranges from 5,000 to 8,000 shekels. The agency owner denied the suspicions against him and was released under restrictive conditions pending the completion of the investigation. These conditions include a prohibition on making any direct or indirect contact with the complainants. The investigation remains ongoing.
According to a report by journalist Daniel Amram, one of the young women who visited the agency stated that because she did not have 8,000 shekels to pay for the portfolio, she was manipulated into performing a sexual act as "payment" for the photos. Since the exposure, dozens of additional complaints have surfaced from young women who identified the agency based on the pattern of behavior described in the original post. Reports indicate that this is not an isolated incident, but rather a practice that has allegedly been going on for years.
As recalled, in the last two years, Israel was shaken by the case of Shai Avital, also a model agent. Ultimately, he was charged with offenses related to supplying drugs and assaulting one of the victims, but not with sexual offenses.
