Latest news with #Alexandrovich
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
US denies intervening in case of Israeli official accused of Nevada sex crime
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department said Monday the American government played no role in the release of an Israeli official charged with soliciting sex electronically from a minor. Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was one of eight people charged last week following an undercover operation "targeting child sex predators," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said in a statement issued last week. Alexandrovich faces a felony charge of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person to commit a sex act "with use of computer technology," according to Nevada State records reviewed by Reuters. Israeli media said Alexandrovich, who they described as a senior department head in Israel's National Cyber Directorate, was released by U.S. authorities and is back in Israel. Reuters could not establish why Alexandrovich was in the Las Vegas area, but at the time Las Vegas was hosting Black Hat, one of the cybersecurity industry's most prominent conferences. The report that an Israeli official accused of a felony sex crime was allowed to return home drew a storm of speculation online. Alexandrovich "did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the U.S. government intervened are false," the State Department said Monday on the social media site X. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 'I vaped when I woke up until I slept': More youth vaping to cope with stress, say social workers Singapore 'I'd have phone in one hand, vape in the other': Youth addicted to vapes gets help to quit habit World Trump tells Zelensky US would help with Ukraine's security in a peace deal Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists World Hamas accepts proposed deal for ceasefire with Israel and hostage release, Egyptian source says Singapore New online tools by SkillsFuture Singapore help companies plan and curate staff training Life Chinese EV brand Nio to be launched in Singapore in first quarter of 2026 The court records show a $10,000 bond was posted at the Henderson Detention Center, southeast of Las Vegas, on August 7. Reuters could not immediately confirm his whereabouts and could not immediately locate contact information for Alexandrovich. The records indicate he is due back in court on August 27. The Israeli Embassy in Washington and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately return messages. Israeli media quoted the office as denying that Alexandrovich was arrested, saying only that a "state employee" was "questioned by American authorities during his stay" and he had "returned to Israel as scheduled." Reuters could not immediately ascertain the circumstances around Alexandrovich's arrest. The Las Vegas police statement credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Henderson Police Department, the North Las Vegas Police, and the Department of Homeland Security with organizing the undercover operation. None of those agencies immediately replied to messages seeking comment on Alexandrovich arrest or release. The Nevada District Attorney's office referred questions back to the Henderson Police Department. REUTERS
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
US denies intervening in case of Israeli official accused of Nevada sex crime
* US denies intervening in case of Israeli official accused of Nevada sex crime Israeli official Tom Alexandrovich was arrested in Nevada before being released * US State Department says US officials were not involved in his release * Las Vegas Police announced arrest late last week after undercover operation By Kanishka Singh and Raphael Satter WASHINGTON, - The U.S. State Department said Monday the American government played no role in the release of an Israeli official charged with soliciting sex electronically from a minor. Tom Artiom Alexandrovich was one of eight people charged last week following an undercover operation "targeting child sex predators," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said in a statement issued last week. Alexandrovich faces a felony charge of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person to commit a sex act "with use of computer technology," according to Nevada State records reviewed by Reuters. Israeli media said Alexandrovich, who they described as a senior department head in Israel's National Cyber Directorate, was released by U.S. authorities and is back in Israel. Reuters could not establish why Alexandrovich was in the Las Vegas area, but at the time Las Vegas was hosting Black Hat, one of the cybersecurity industry's most prominent conferences. The report that an Israeli official accused of a felony sex crime was allowed to return home drew a storm of speculation online. Alexandrovich "did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the U.S. government intervened are false," the State Department said Monday on the social media site X. The court records show a $10,000 bond was posted at the Henderson Detention Center, southeast of Las Vegas, on August 7. Reuters could not immediately confirm his whereabouts and could not immediately locate contact information for Alexandrovich. The records indicate he is due back in court on August 27. The Israeli Embassy in Washington and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately return messages. Israeli media quoted the office as denying that Alexandrovich was arrested, saying only that a "state employee" was "questioned by American authorities during his stay" and he had "returned to Israel as scheduled." Reuters could not immediately ascertain the circumstances around Alexandrovich's arrest. The Las Vegas police statement credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Henderson Police Department, the North Las Vegas Police, and the Department of Homeland Security with organizing the undercover operation. None of those agencies immediately replied to messages seeking comment on Alexandrovich arrest or release. The Nevada District Attorney's office referred questions back to the Henderson Police Department. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Roya News
a day ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Las Vegas police arrest 'Israeli' cybersecurity official in pedophilia investigation
An 'Israeli' cybersecurity executive has been arrested in the United States on suspicion of involvement in online child exploitation, according to reports in 'Israel' and Nevada. Yedioth Ahronoth, an 'Israeli' news outlet, identified the official as 38-year-old Tom Alexandrovich, a senior figure within the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD). He was taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department while attending an international cyber conference on behalf of the directorate last week. Police in Las Vegas said Alexandrovich was one of eight individuals arrested in a recent sting operation. 'A multi-agency operation targeting child sex predators [which] led to the arrest of eight individuals over the past two weeks,' the department confirmed in a statement. Authorities added that the suspects 'face felony charges of Luring a Child with Computer for Sex Act.' Court filings cited by Yedioth Ahronoth allege that Alexandrovich attempted to 'seduce a mentally ill child using computer technology to have sex.' He appeared before a judge in Nevada and was later released on USD 10,000 bail. The cyber directorate, which operates under the 'Israeli' Prime Minister's Office, initially downplayed the incident, saying, '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, Las Vegas police records contradict this version, confirming that Alexandrovich had indeed been arrested. The INCD later clarified that it had 'not been involved in any matter related to the bail.' In 'Israel', police declined to confirm whether they would investigate upon Alexandrovich's return. '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,' a spokesperson said. The arrest comes amid growing scrutiny of senior 'Israeli' officials. Just weeks earlier, 'Israel's' ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yossi Shelley, was recalled after Emirati officials accused him of inappropriate conduct. Shelley, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was alleged to have made repeated comments about prostitutes and to have engaged in behavior that Emirati authorities deemed unacceptable. A senior 'Israeli' diplomat told Channel 12 that Shelley frequently discussed sex workers with colleagues and once clashed with security staff in Abu Dhabi. 'The subject he talks about all the time in an exaggerated way is prostitutes,' the official said. 'That's what he tells everyone about, that's what he likes to talk about the most.' According to the report, Shelley visited 'dubious places' during his posting and reacted angrily when local officials attempted to intervene, allegedly shouting at security guards, 'You won't lock me up.'
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Senior Israel National Cyber Directorate official arrested on suspicion of paedophilia
Israeli media has reported that a senior official in the Israel National Cyber Directorate was arrested in Las Vegas on suspicion of online 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.'"
