Boy, 10, Allegedly Abused After Being Kidnapped in Israel

Police in Petah Tikva are awaiting child witness testimony from a 10-year-old boy, Yahli Sofer, who was rescued in Bnei Brak after allegedly being abducted from Petah Tikva by a 20-year-old man from Jerusalem. Investigators suspect the man not only kidnapped the child but also abused him, according to an initial report by Israel Hayom. The child's testimony will be taken by special investigators from the Ministry of Welfare.

Yahli told his parents that after meeting the suspect, he was told by the man that he had been thrown out of his home and needed help begging for money. "We walked far from home and I was scared," Yahli recounted. The suspect allegedly took Yahli from Petah Tikva to Bnei Brak on Tuesday afternoon and instructed him to ask people for money. Police also suspect the man allowed the 10-year-old to smoke a cigarette during their time together.

Yahli was returned to his family and the suspect was arrested late Tuesday night after a passerby recognized the boy from social media images and alerted the authorities. The suspect's detention has been extended until Thursday. The suspect denies kidnapping Yahli, claiming he found the boy lost and was only escorting him home. However, police reportedly possess security camera footage that contradicts his account, showing him taking Yahli from a playground near the boy's home. Police are awaiting the child's testimony as they investigate the alleged abuse.