Police: Israel man committed online sex crimes with dozens of teenage girls

A Netanya man is suspected of carrying out sex crimes on dozens of girls aged 12-15 whom he met online, police said on Wednesday.The 33-year-old suspect, whose name is being withheld under a court-imposed gag order, was arrested on Sunday. Officers said they suspected him of sex crimes committed against a single victim. But in a statement on Wednesday, they said that during a search of his residence following his arrest, they seized computers and other equipment that “presented to the investigators a very harsh picture of severe crimes carried out against dozens of other girls using the Internet.”As of Wednesday, police said they had no evidence that the man actually met any of the alleged victims, saying the crimes he is suspected of mainly involved lewd, sexual conversations and convincing the girls to carry out sex acts on themselves while he watched.Investigators did say they had evidence that he tried to arrange a meeting with one of the victims, but were not sure if it took place.The suspect will be brought before the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court for his second remand extension on Thursday morning.Police would not say whether the evidence against him included photographs or videos of the alleged victims, or whether he had posted or shared the material online.