A woman in northern Israel was arrested Thursday on suspicion of prostituting her 12-year-old daughter to a 70-year-old man, police said in a statement.
Police said the girl was rescued from a pay-by-the-hour motel room where she was alone with the man, who is suspected of sexually assaulting her.
Officers raided the motel in the early hours of Thursday morning, arresting the man, the motel owner, and the girl’s mother and aunt, who police believe pimped out the 12-year-old for sex.
The mother and aunt, who reportedly lived on the property, are suspected of prostituting the girl to the john. The motel owner is suspected of failing to stop the alleged crime.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
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According to reports in Hebrew-language media, the girl was recently removed from her mother’s care and put into a group home. Sometime over the last week, she ran away from the group home and returned to her mother.
As welfare authorities searched for the girl, police reportedly received an anonymous tip that led them to the motel where she was found with the man.
The suspects will be brought before a judge at the Nazareth District Court later on Thursday for an initial arraignment.
Police said the girl underwent a sexual assault examination and has since been returned to the foster home.
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