Senior Israel National Cyber Directorate official arrested on suspicion of paedophilia
According to a report on the Israeli news website Ynet, Tom Alexandrovich, 38, was arrested for questioning by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department during a conference he had attended on behalf of the cyber directorate last week.
He was arrested along with seven other suspects as part of "a multi-agency operation targeting child sex predators [which] led to the arrest of eight individuals over the past two weeks", Las Vegas police said in a statement.
The suspects, according to local police, "face felony charges of Luring a Child with Computer for Sex Act".
The Israel National Cyber Directorate, which is supervised by the Prime Minister's Office, said in response: "The employee informed the Directorate that during his trip to the United States he was questioned by the US authorities on matters not related to work matters, and returned to Israel on the scheduled date of return.
"The Directorate has not yet received additional details through the authorised channels. If it receives, the Directorate will act accordingly.
"At this stage, in a joint decision, the employee went on leave to deal with the matter until things will become clear."
However, Ynet reported that, contrary to the directorate's statement, Las Vegas police documents indicate that Alexandrovich - head of the cyber directorate's technological defence division - was arrested in the US.
According to the report, the Israeli senior official was released on $10,000 bail after appearing before a judge.
"The documents indicate that Alexandrovich is suspected of seducing a mentally ill child using computer technology to have sex," Ynet said.
In response, the Israel National Cyber Directorate added that it "was not involved in any matter related to the bail".
Israel Police refused to comment on Alexandrovich's situation after his return to the country, saying: "As a rule, any complaint or information that raises suspicion of committing a criminal offence is examined by the police, and where there is a reasonable basis for suspicion that a criminal offence has been committed, an investigation is opened in accordance with each case and its circumstances.
"We do not provide details regarding the existence or non-existence of investigations, and this does not confirm or deny their existence."
The case comes after another senior Israeli official was accused of inappropriate behaviour.
Israel's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yossi Shelley, was recalled last month after senior Emirati officials complained of inappropriate conduct.
Shelley, who served as director general of the Prime Minister's Office before becoming ambassador to the UAE, is considered close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A senior Israeli foreign ministry official told Channel 12 on Saturday that "the subject he talks about all the time in an exaggerated way is prostitutes", adding: "That's what he tells everyone about, that's what he likes to talk about the most."
According to the report, Shelley used to go to "dubious places" during his time in the UAE. When Emirati officials sought to coordinate these visits, "Shelley went wild and just attacked the security guards by shouting: 'You won't lock me up.'"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Serbia signs $1.63bn arms deal with Israeli company Elbit Systems
Serbia has reportedly signed a $1.63bn arms deal with Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, according to Israeli media reports. Elbit, which has supplied Israel with drones and other weaponry for its operations in Gaza, confirmed last week that it had secured a five-year contract to deliver military equipment to an unnamed European country. Under the agreement, Elbit will supply Serbia with long-range precision rockets, alongside a range of other military technologies, including communications and signals intelligence systems. The deal comes amid growing scrutiny of Israeli arms exports as the country continues its military operations in Gaza, which have drawn widespread international criticism.
Middle East Eye
5 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Egypt slams Israeli plan to expel Palestinians as ethnic cleansing
Egypt condemned Israeli plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling them ethnic cleansing and a war crime, even as it controversially strengthens economic ties with Tel Aviv. In a statement on Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said reports of Israeli consultations with foreign governments over potential relocation schemes were part of 'an unacceptable Israeli policy aimed at emptying Palestinian land.' Cairo said it had contacted countries allegedly approached by Israel, adding they rejected involvement in what it described as 'reprehensible plans.' 'Egypt will not accept the displacement and will not participate in it, as it is a historical injustice that has no moral or legal justification,' the ministry said. It added that any attempt to push Palestinians from their land would 'inevitably lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.' The statement stressed Egypt's 'absolute rejection' of any attempt to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the occupied West Bank, urging states worldwide not to 'be involved in this immoral crime that contravenes all principles of international humanitarian law, constitutes a war crime and ethnic cleansing, and represents a clear violation of the four Geneva Conventions.' New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Cairo also warned of 'historical and legal responsibility' for any country that cooperates with such measures, saying the consequences would reverberate regionally and internationally. Egypt's comments come as reports that South Sudan is in talks with Israel about resettling Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza. The Associated Press reported that talks had taken place between the two countries about transferring Palestinians, citing six sources familiar with the discussions. It is unclear how far the talks have progressed. Joe Szlavik, a US lobbyist working with South Sudan, told AP he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks, and that an Israeli delegation had planned to visit the country to explore the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians. Israeli plan to ethnically cleans northern Gaza The strong Egyptian rebuke came as the Israeli army announced preparations to ethnically cleanse to a million residents from Gaza City, days after signalling a new offensive on the enclave's largest urban centre. Senior Israeli official flees US following arrest over paedophilia Read More » Gaza health officials reported at least 57 people were by Israeli forces on Sunday, 38 of them were shot dead while trying to reach desperately needed aid. According to a statement from the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories (COGAT), the military would begin providing tents and shelter equipment to civilians in southern Gaza as they flee from Israeli war planes. Meanwhile, Israel's domestic debate intensified after Israel's Channel 12 aired leaked recordings of a senior general. The officer, Gen. (retired) Aharon Haliva, who led military intelligence on 7 October 2023, was heard saying that '50 Palestinians must die for every person killed that day, and it does not matter now if they are children.' The broadcaster said the recordings were made 'in recent months.' Haliva went on to say that the Palestinians "need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price," in reference to the 1948 mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Haliva can be heard insisting that the killings are "not revenge," but rather a "deterrent to future generations". Egypt's denunciation of Israeli displacement plans comes amid scrutiny of Cairo's own relationship with Israel, following a $35bn gas import deal signed earlier this month that will almost triple Egyptian imports from Israel's Leviathan offshore field through to 2040. People have condemned the deal for its economic complicity in empowering Israel in the middle of a ongoing genocide.
Middle East Eye
6 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
West Bank mourns teen killed by Israeli forces
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, held a funeral for 18-year-old Hamdan Abu Aliya, who was killed by Israeli forces on Saturday. Mourners carried his body through the streets, waving Palestinian flags and banners of Fatah and Hamas while chanting, 'With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, martyr.' His father, Musa Abu Aliya, sent a message beyond the village: 'Enough betrayal, enough humiliation, enough insult. No matter how many they kill, time is on our side. It is impossible for us to give up our land.' The Palestinian health ministry confirmed his death late on Saturday, saying he was shot by 'occupation forces in the town of Al-Mughayyir'. Responding to AFP, the Israeli army said its soldiers opened fire after 'terrorists' hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at occupation troops.
