First plea deal reached in alleged pedophile parents case, prosecutors to seek a double-digit prison term

A father suspected in the so-called pedophile parents case has reached a plea deal, the first in the investigation, and it is expected to be presented in about two weeks at the Lod District Court. The deal was first reported Thursday night on Kan News.

The man, a resident of central Israel and father of four, is described as one of the main suspects. Under the agreement, he is expected to admit to most of the offenses attributed to him, including indecent acts against a minor, use of a minor’s body by a person responsible for the minor, indecent acts against a minor while exploiting the minor’s condition, and publishing and consuming obscene material.

As part of the plea bargain, he will be sent for a probation report. After that, the prosecution is expected to ask for a double-digit prison sentence. The case involves people who appeared outwardly to lead ordinary family lives, but investigators say they were living “double lives.”

Those implicated include a social worker, an employee at a car company, and a high-tech worker. So far, 12 people have been arrested, including parents accused of sexually abusing their own children and sending images and videos documenting the abuse. The investigation, first exposed by Israel Hayom, uncovered disturbing messages among the parents and other suspects, including requests to send one another the illicit material. Even veteran investigators in Unit 105 of Lahav 433, which deals daily with sexual offenses, reportedly struggled with the documented events.