Military prosecutors ditch plea deal for officer facing 79 counts of sex crimes

The Military Prosecution announces it has backed away from a plea deal signed with an officer who allegedly filmed his female subordinates while they were nude without their knowledge, following opposition from many of the victims.

Lt. Col. Dan Sharoni is on trial for over 70 counts of sex offenses for his actions, which also included collecting sexual images of soldiers and some civilians over the course of at least eight years.

“After examining the matter as a whole, and in light of the seriousness of the crimes attributed to Sharoni and the severe harm he caused to the victims, the court found that public interest required a withdrawal from the settlement,” prosecutors say in a statement.

While many were opposed, some of the victims supported the deal, whereby Sharoni would admit to the charges and be sentenced to several years in prison, demoted to the rank of private and be required to pay compensation to the 49 victims totaling NIS 250,000 ($72,000).

However, the deal would have seen Sharoni benefit from a significant military pension. Amid outcry over the deal, the chief of the IDF said he would revoke the pension, but Sharoni’s immediate family could still request a monthly stipend, which the disgraced officer would not benefit from.