Four Israelis nabbed in international pedophile probe

Suspects believed to have both downloaded and distributed pedophilic materials via the Internet.

By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
rape victim 88 (photo credit: )
rape victim 88
(photo credit: )
After receiving a tip-off from German and Spanish police, Northern District police arrested four suspects, all northern residents believed to have both downloaded and distributed pedophilic materials via the Internet. This was the second major pedophile-related case cracked in Israel in less than a week, although neither of the cases originated as investigations by the Israel Police. Interpol contacted the Israel Police after investigators in Germany and Spain alerted Interpol that investigations indicated that pedophiles in Israel were active on the Internet. Following the receipt of the complaint, an investigation was opened in the Northern District's Fraud Squad. During the Israeli investigation, four suspects were arrested under suspicion of pedophilia-related crimes. Two of those arrested are Haifa residents, aged 43 and 30. A third suspect is a 48 year-old Galilee resident and the fourth is from the Jezreel Valley area and is a career member of the IDF. The suspects allegedly downloaded movies and pedophilic material from the Internet, and are also suspected of distributing similar materials on the Web. All four have confessed to the allegations against them. On Sunday morning they were brought before a judge Also on Sunday, the Tel Aviv district attorney's office submitted two indictments against two other suspected pedophiles following an investigative report by Channel 10 detailing the ease with which pedophiles can find their innocent prey on the Internet. Eitan Rozin, 33, of Rishon Lezion was indicted in the Tel Aviv District Court Sunday morning, and will face charges of attempted rape and attempted sexual harassment. Samir Roman, 36, of Ein Rafa was also indicted Sunday in Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court, charged with attempted sexual harassment. Rozin allegedly engaged in an on-line "chat" with a Channel 10 investigator posing as a 13-year-old girl, during which Rosen allegedly asked the investigator if she had ever seen a naked man and if she was a virgin, adding that "that's exactly what I'm looking for." He allegedly invited the "girl" to meet him in a hotel room, adding that it was his dream to have sex with a virgin, and that he would teach her "everything." Rozin then allegedly met his prey, who was represented by a young (but legally adult) actress posing as the girl with whom he had chatted, in a Tel Aviv apartment, allegedly to make good on his promises to "teach" the girl. He soon discovered, however, that instead of his anticipated meeting with a young teen, he was also met by police officers who arrested him.