Israeli actor Hanan Goldblatt convicted of rape

TV actor guilty of two rape charges, three sexual misdemeanor charges; sentence not yet announced.

hanan goldblatt 224.88 (photo credit: Channel 10)
hanan goldblatt 224.88
(photo credit: Channel 10)
Israeli actor Hanan Goldblatt, remembered by many Israelis from his part in Bli Sodot (No Secrets), a classic 1980s show that taught children spelling and grammar, was convicted Thursday on two charges of rape and three additional sexual misdemeanor charges. Goldblatt has been teaching acting in recent years and according to the indictment lured young aspiring actresses into performing "rehearsals" with him on a screenplay he claimed to have written. Eight women complained against Goldblatt but he was convicted for only five offenses. The affair was exposed in August 2005, when Goldblatt was arrested after several women filed police complaints against him. One of the complainants said that six and a half years earlier, when she was 17, the actor made her sleep with him during "rehearsals" at his home. After his arrest more women, who were previously afraid to speak out, joined the petition against Goldblatt. With his conviction on five felonies, Goldblatt was acquitted from three charges of attempted rape, sexual misdemeanor and attempted sexual misdemeanor. His sentence was not announced yet by the Tel Aviv District Court.