Hepatitis C sufferer charged with sodomizing youths

Yair Shir Menajem, 47, exploited several minors over the course of 15 years; was charged with several graphic attacks Monday in Jerusalem court.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
Bibi netanyahu (photo credit: JPost Staff)
Bibi netanyahu
(photo credit: JPost Staff)
A 47-year-old Jerusalem resident who has Hepatitis C was charged in the Jerusalem District Court on Monday with sodomizing and carrying out indecent acts on several minors over recent years.
According to the charge sheet, Yair Shir Menajem allegedly exploited young and vulnerable youths for more than 15 years, beginning sometime between 1995 and 1996 when, during visits to his parents’ home in Ness Ziona, he started sexually assaulting an eight-year-old boy who lived next door.
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Menajem denied all of the charges.
“He knew that the boy’s grandparents had passed away and that young boy was emotionally attached to them,” the indictment said. “He told the boy he should cooperate so that he could ‘connect’ the boy to his grandparents and make sure they come to him in dreams.”
When the boy said his grandparents were not appearing in his dreams, “the defendant promised him this would happen soon.”
Several alleged sexual attacks are graphically described in the indictment. The boy required years of psychological therapy, prosecutors said.
In 2001, Menajem attended a yeshiva for youths. Prosecutors said he forced oral sex on a teenager after luring him back to his home with a promise of curing him from astigmatism.
In 2005, the defendant allegedly invited a 13-year-old youth to move in with him after the teenager fought with his father. During this time, Menajem was allegedly told by doctors that he had Hepatitis C, which harms the liver and has been linked with cancer. The disease can be sexually transmitted.
Nevertheless, prosecutors said, from 2005 to 2007 he carried out sexual assaults on several occasions with minors.
In total, eights youths – four of whom are brothers – were allegedly assaulted by the defendant.