Suspect Held in Boy's Abduction Admits Using Child for Begging

A suspect, whose identity is currently under gag order, has admitted to police that he used a 10-year-old boy, Yahli Sofer, to solicit donations from people on the street. The boy was taken from his hometown of Petah Tikva to Bnei Brak. A judge at the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court extended the suspect's detention until Thursday, criticizing his actions as severe.

The police described the incident as extremely serious, detailing how the suspect approached Yahli and his friends at a playground in Petah Tikva. While the other children fled, the suspect persuaded Yahli to accompany him, reportedly giving him a ride on a scooter to Bnei Brak. The suspect claimed he wanted to introduce the child to his friends and used him to collect money.

The boy's mother stated that the suspect presented Yahli as his own child to solicit funds. During questioning, the suspect confessed to using the child for begging.

The judge extended the suspect's remand by four days, noting that the suspect took the minor to another city without parental consent and allowed the 10-year-old to smoke a cigarette. The judge emphasized the gravity of the offenses and the need for further investigation.

However, the suspect's defense attorney argued that the child was not abducted but had wandered off and that the suspect merely encountered him by chance and tried to help. Despite the defense's claims, the court ordered the suspect's continued detention for investigative purposes. The incident began with a hours-long search for the missing boy by hundreds of residents and emergency services before he was located in Bnei Brak with the suspect.