Suspected yeshiva child molester arrested in Jerusalem

Police said Monday they had arrested a man on suspicion of sexually assaulting multiple minors while he worked as a housekeeper in a religious academy for children in Jerusalem.

The man was arrested Sunday after investigators were able to track down some victims who spoke about the assaults, police said. Two victims aged 17 and two more between the ages of 10 and 12 have testified so far.

The man, 37, is suspected of indecent acts, sodomy of minors and threatening his victims.

The suspect, who was not named in the police statement, is believed to have assaulted minors attending the yeshiva where he worked as well as others in the neighborhood.

Police suspect the man invited pupils to a storage room near the yeshiva where he would sexually assault them. On several occasions he allegedly assaulted more than one victim at a time and would pay or threaten his victims to keep silent about the incidents.

Police said the man had access to the children due to his position as a housekeeper at the academy. The suspect has refused to cooperate with the investigation.

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended his arrest until Wednesday.