a day ago
Israeli government official arrested in Nevada sex crimes operation
A cybersecurity official for the Israeli government was arrested in Nevada during an operation targeting child sex predators.
Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, was arrested earlier this month and is facing a felony charge of luring a child with a computer for a sex act, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Friday. He has since been released from custody after posting a $10,000 bail, court records show.
Alexandrovich was one of eight people arrested in the past two weeks as a result of the operation, police said.
The Israeli government's website refers to the 38-year-old as head of the Technological Defense Division at the Israel National Cyber Directorate, which is the government agency responsible 'for all aspects of cyber defense in the civilian sphere.'
Alexandrovich's LinkedIn Profile, which has since been deleted, also described him as an agency official, Mediaite reported. Screenshots from his account suggest he was in Las Vegas to attend Black Hat USA, a six-day event that includes conferences and cybersecurity trainings.
He posted a photo of himself at the event on LinkedIn and wrote an emoji-rich caption: 'Two things you can't escape at Black Hat 2025: the relentless buzz of Generative Al [and] and the sound of Hebrew…in every corridor.'
Under Nevada law, the crime of cyber luring carries a sentence of one to 10 years behind bars.
The police said Alexandrovich and six others arrested during the undercover operation were booked into the Henderson Detention Center. He was released from custody after posting bond on August 7, court records show.
The Independent has asked the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for more information about Alexandrovich's whereabouts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied that a government employee was arrested. 'A state employee who traveled to the U.S. for professional matters was questioned by American authorities during his stay,' the prime minister's office said, in a statement to Mediaite. 'The employee, who does not hold a diplomatic visa, was not arrested and returned to Israel as scheduled.'
Israeli news site Ynet reported that an Israel National Cyber Directorate employee was 'briefly detained for questioning during a professional conference' in the U.S. before returning to his hotel and flying back to Israel two days later.
