Ex-guard for defense minister indicted for abusing underage girls

Prosecutors indict a former security guard at the defense minister’s bureau for sexually assaulting underage girls.

The indictment alleges that 29-year-old Itay Darchi carried out dozens of instances of abuse over the course of more than two years, Channel 2 reports. Much of his alleged abuse took place close to schools in Beersheba and Rishon Lezion, and many cases involved girls between the ages of 6 and 10.

Prosecutors charge that Darchi would stalk the girls and tell them that he was a new teacher looking for the school. He would then persuade the girls to allow him to touch them intimately.

He even recorded some of these encounters on his cellphone, without the knowledge or consent of the children. According to Channel 2, he had 600 video clips and 18,000 photos on his computer, which he viewed repeatedly.