State Attorney asks for prison sentence against Rabbi Elon for indecent assault convictions

Prominent national religious figure Rabbi Moti Elon was convicted in August of sexual crimes against a minor.

By JEREMY SHARON
Rabbi Moti Elon 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Rabbi Moti Elon 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
The state attorney has asked for a custodial sentence to be served against prominent national-religious figure Rabbi Moti Elon who was convicted in August of two counts of indecent assault by force against a minor.
A hearing was held on Thursday for determining Elon’s sentence at the Jerusalem District Court in which the prosecutor asked for a sentence of eight to 18 months in prison.
The rabbi’s defense team asked that he be given community service instead of a jail term.
According to a report by Channel 10, Elon was evaluated by state authorities after his conviction by a psychiatrist who determined that Elon had a low to medium level of danger to others and therefore he should not be alone with potential victims.
According to the conviction in August, during a private meeting in 2005 with a 17-year-old boy, known as “Alef,” Elon stroked his face and different parts of his body on top of his clothes; sat the boy on his lap; and kissed him on the face for a prolonged period.
In a separate incident Elon met Alef in Yeshivat Hakotel where the rabbi served as yeshiva dean. He took him to his office, closed the door and sat down next to the youth on a couch. He then brought Alef towards him, sat him on his knees and, while clothed, rubbed his genitals against Alef’s body.
Elon vigorously denied the allegations and his supporters have argued that he was accustomed to giving warm hugs to many of his students.
They claim that the incidents for which he was convicted were misinterpreted.