Israel’s Reputation as a Haven for Sex Offenders
Israeli Cybersecurity Official’s Case Exposes Israel’s Reputation as a Haven for Sex Offenders
When Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, a top Israeli cybersecurity official, was arrested last month in Las Vegas for allegedly attempting to have sex with an undercover officer posing as a minor, few anticipated the diplomatic and political firestorm his swift release would ignite.
Alexandrovich, the Executive Director for Defense at Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, was initially arrested in Las Vegas after an undercover operation ensnared him with evidence of cyber-luring a supposed 15-year-old for sex, a felony carrying up to 10 years in prison. He was one of eight men caught in a joint task force sting carried out by the FBI and Nevada authorities, involving explicit chats on apps such as WhatsApp and Pure and arrangements to meet in person. The arrest report chillingly details that Alexandrovich brought a condom and planned to take the teenage decoy to a Cirque du Soleil show.
Upon his detention on August 6, 2025, Alexandrovich seemed “shocked” and quickly asked police about the status of his booked international flight home—stressing his family situation in Israel and only worrying about travel logistics, not the charges. He waived his Miranda rights and stated he believed the person was 18, despite the evidence proving otherwise.
Despite the severity of the crime, Alexandrovich was released on only $10,000 bail, given no monitoring or passport seizure, and allowed to leave the country within two days—prior to his initial court date. Other defendants in the same sting remained jailed, faced higher bail, or wore electronic monitors. Criminal defense experts described the release highly irregular and suspicious, noting it broke standard protocol for flight risks in serious felony cases.
Alexandrovich missed his court date on August 27, after his lawyers attempted to claim a back-room deal exempted him from appearing. Judge Barbara Schifalacqua swiftly denied this claim, further highlighting the exceptional treatment he received. The federal government, under President Donald Trump, immediately denied any intervention in Alexandrovich’s release. In an August 19 statement, the State Department insisted, “Any claims that the US government intervened are false,” declaring Alexandrovich did not invoke diplomatic immunity and that his release was a state—not federal—judicial decision.
However, Acting U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah, an Israeli-born Trump appointee for the District of Nevada, decided not to pursue federal charges, a key decision that prevented leveraging stronger extradition tools. On August 18, Chattah publicly criticized state officials for failing to seize Alexandrovich’s passport and demanded his return. Chattah clarified that “the Clark County District Attorney’s office — not federal authorities — is handling the prosecution” of the Israeli officials.
Moments later, she took to social media, blasting local authorities: “A liberal district attorney and state court judge in Nevada FAILED TO REQUIRE AN ALLEGED CHILD MOLESTER TO SURRENDER HIS PASSPORT, which allowed him to flee our country.”
Chattah also asserted that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel are “outraged” by the incident. Under heavy fire for her silence on the Alexandrovich case, Chattah bowed to pressure and deleted her personal social media accounts amid the backlash.
This case produced a notable rift in the MAGA movement, long considered fervently pro-Israel. Prominent Republicans and digital influencers aligned with President Donald Trump expressed fury at the double standard and perceived subservience to Israel. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) sounded off on X, “How did America become so subservient to Israel that we immediately release a CHILD SEX PREDATOR after arrest, with a 100% locked up case with evidence, and let him off to fly back home to Israel?? Would we do that with a Mexican child sex predator?”
Other MAGA figures also piled on. Former Navy intelligence officer and MAGA influencer Jack Posobiec stated, “DOJ should file federal charges and demand immediate extradition,” while popular conservative personality Tucker Carlson questioned, “What is going on here? Why would the United States allow a foreign government official charged with a child sex crime to avoid prosecution?” Candace Owens, a conservative influencer who has taken a surprising anti-Israel turn since October 7, 2023, attributed Alexandrovich’s release to Chattah’s Israeli heritage. “The US attorney general who released him is Israeli-born Sigal Chattah. Makes sense now!,” Owens remarked.
The state of Israel initially appeared to deny the gravity of the arrest. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed Alexandrovich “was questioned by American authorities during his visit” and “returned to Israel as planned,” omitting any mention of official criminal charges. The National Cyber Directorate only admitted Alexandrovich was placed on leave pending further developments.
This scandal must be understood against the backdrop of Israel’s reputation as a haven for sex offenders and traffickers. Over the past two decades, Israel’s standing in the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Reports has fluctuated dramatically. In 2001, Israel was ranked the lowest possible (Tier 3), deemed by the U.S. government as “a destination country for trafficked persons, primarily women.”
While the Jewish state’s standing was later upgraded, in 2021 the country was downgraded to Tier 2 amidst criticisms that Israel made “woefully inadequate efforts to prevent human trafficking” and that key populations, including children, remained extremely vulnerable.
A persistent feature driving headlines has been Israel’s Law of Return, which allows Jews worldwide to acquire instant citizenship regardless of their criminal background. On paper, an amendment added to the law in 1954 prohibits “a person with a criminal past, likely to endanger public welfare,” yet campaigners argue that sex offenders continue to slip through.
Israel is becoming a safe haven for paedophiles due to the unique opportunity available to all Jews from anywhere in the world to immigrate there,” explained Manny Waks, a child abuse survivor and founder of the advocacy group Kol V’Oz, in remarks to The Independent.
This provides a relatively efficient and effective way to evade justice from other countries. It also provides a sanctuary to those who have already been convicted.
It’s important to note that while there are some criminal background checks as part of the immigration process, there are multiple ways to overcome this requirement.”
Shana Aaronson, director of Magen, an organization which works on cases of sexual abuse in Israel’s Orthodox Jewish community, also had choice words about the Jewish state’s lax policies toward sex offenders. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Israel is a safe haven for Jewish sexual offenders,” Aaronson stated. She emphasized that many have found protection through Orthodox networks and legal loopholes.
Thanks to this permissive environment, as many as 100 accused or convicted pedophiles—including notorious figures like Malka Leifer, Jimmy Julius Karow, and Mordechai Yomtov—have sought refuge in Israel over the past two decades. Each of these cases is deeply disturbing.
Jimmy Julius Karow
In 2000, Jimmy Julius Karow was accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl in Oregon. Before U.S. authorities could apprehend him, Karow fled to Israel. Once there, he took advantage of Israel’s Law of Return to gain citizenship, adopting the name Yosef Chaim Karow to establish his new identity.
Karow did not escape legal trouble entirely. In 2002, he was convicted in Israel on separate sexual assault charges and served a five-year prison sentence. Years later, in 2017, he faced further accusations involving two young Israeli sisters, ages 3 and 7, whom he allegedly raped and sexually assaulted between 1999 and 2001. The charges included rape, sodomy, and indecent assault.
In 2021, Karow signed a plea agreement where he will spend over a decade in prison. Despite his conviction in Israel, it remains unlikely that he will ever be extradited to face the original charges in the United States. Meanwhile, an active Interpol Red Notice continues to list him as a fugitive wanted by U.S. authorities.
Malka Leifer
Malka Leifer served as principal of the Adass Israel School, an ultra-Orthodox girls’ school in Melbourne, Australia, from 2001 to 2008. During that time, she faced allegations of sexually abusing multiple students. Ultimately, she was charged with 74 counts of child sexual abuse and convicted on 18 counts, including rape and sexual assault, primarily involving two sisters, Dassi Erlich and Elly Sapper, between 2003 and 2007.
When the allegations first surfaced in 2008, Leifer fled to Israel. What followed was a prolonged 13-year legal battle, with more than 70 court hearings as she fought extradition. She initially avoided being sent back to Australia by claiming mental illness, but in 2020 Israeli psychiatrists concluded that she had been faking her condition to escape justice. Surprisingly, Leifer would face justice in Australia after being extradited there in January 2021. In August 2023, she was sentenced to 15 years in prison, with eligibility for parole beginning in June 2029.
Mordechai Yomtov
Mordechai Yomtov worked as a Hebrew teacher at Cheder Menachem, an all-boys Orthodox yeshiva in Hollywood that served 185 students. In December 2001, he was arrested on 10 felony counts of committing lewd acts with three boys, ages 8 to 10.
Two months later, in February 2002, Yomtov reached a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to two counts of continuous sexual abuse and one count of lewd conduct. He was sentenced to one year in county jail and five years of probation. However, Yomtov violated the terms of his probation when he fled the United States. Using a fake passport, he traveled through Mexico before making his way to Israel, where he continues to reside illegally.
When confronted by investigators, Yomtov admitted to violating his probation and offered a general apology to his victims. Yet his escape denied his victims the justice they sought. For at least one former student, Mendy Hauck, the trauma lingered for years. Hauck only came forward in 2016 after being encouraged by another victim who had spoken out.
* * *
The Alexandrovich affair is not an isolated scandal but a microcosm of the deeper, abusive relationship between the United States and Israel. Time and again, Israeli officials and fugitives exploit America’s indulgence, slipping past basic standards of law and morality that most of the world still respects. Israel’s outsized influence over Washington ensures that even the most egregious violations, including crimes against children, are shielded from real accountability.
Meanwhile, Israel’s status as a refuge for sex offenders continues to mock U.S. sovereignty, exposing the hollowness of its justice system. Until America breaks free from this humiliating dynamic, cases like Alexandrovich’s will not only persist but proliferate, serving as recurring reminders of the degradation inflicted on a superpower by its supposed “ally.”