The Tel Aviv Prosecutor’s Office indicted a 19-year-old for committing indecent acts and attempting to commit indecent acts on minors online, the State Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Mazkeret Batya resident, identified as Rotem Aknin, created fake Snapchat and TikTok profiles on which he claimed to be a 14-year-old named Liron, according to the indictment.
An investigation conducted by Unit 105 of the Israel Police, the Israel Police’s Cyber Unit, and the State Attorney’s Office revealed that Aknin used fake social media profiles to approach four minors and asked them to commit indecent acts, take photos, and send them to him.
Aknin coerced, manipulated underage victims
When one victim refused his request, he attempted to coerce her into complying, telling her to “have fun,” “I owe you,” "I don't like people not listening to me," and asking her to “just lift up [her] shirt."
Aknin was charged with multiple offences, including inflicting an indecent act on a minor under the age of 16 via fraud, attempting to inflict an indecent act on a minor under the age of 16 via fraud, providing false information, and using explicit images of a minor to “make obscene advertising,” the indictment detailed.
According to Israel Police’s Cyber Unit, Aknin “systematically committed the offenses against four minors, and attempted to approach many other minors in the same fraudulent manner.”
Along with the filing of the indictment, the department submitted a request for Aknin to remain in detention until the end of his legal proceedings.