Pedophile arrested in Jerusalem

The 50-year-old man is suspected of preying on girls aged 10 to 12 he encountered in the street in one of the city's haredi neighborhoods.

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
A 50-year-old convicted pedophile who was released from prison last year after serving an 11-year sentence for child molestation was under arrest Tuesday for allegedly sexually molesting 30 children in Jerusalem, police said. The suspect, who has confessed to the allegations, was apprehended on Monday after the father of one of the girls called the police to report that his daughter had been molested, police said. He is suspected of preying on girls aged 10 to 12 he encountered in the street in one of the city's haredi neighborhoods. "The suspect said he was aware of the severity of his actions but he had a problem, and that he could not control himself," Jerusalem police investigator Avi Brickman said. The suspect, who is divorced, recently moved to Jerusalem and worked in a haredi yeshiva, Brickman said. It was not immediately clear Tuesday if the child molester had been under any supervision after his recent release from prison. The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court remanded him in custody for six days until his scheduled indictment.