Beit Shemesh Man Indicted for Sexually Abusing Minors in Synagogues and Mikvahs
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
A 33-year-old Beit Shemesh man, Yechiel Yehoshua Brand, has been indicted for indecent acts and attempted indecent acts against four minors aged 13 to 16. The alleged offenses occurred between 2024 and 2026 in local synagogues, mikvahs, and a supermarket. The indictment details instances of sexual contact and molestation during prayers and in bathing facilities. Brand is accused of exploiting the minors in public and religious spaces within the city.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Yechiel Yehoshua Brand, 33, indicted for indecent acts against four minors in Beit Shemesh.
- Offenses allegedly occurred between 2024 and 2026 in synagogues, mikvahs, and a supermarket.
- Indictment details sexual contact and molestation during prayers and in ritual baths.
- Victims were minors aged 13 to 16.
- Brand allegedly followed one victim to a supermarket after a mikvah incident.
A severe indictment has been filed against Yechiel Yehoshua Brand, a 33-year-old resident of Beit Shemesh, for committing indecent acts and attempted indecent acts against four minors aged 13 to 16. According to the indictment, the offenses occurred between 2024 and 2026 on multiple occasions in the city's mikvahs (ritual baths), synagogues, and a supermarket.
In one instance described in the indictment, Brand pressed himself against a 17-year-old boy during prayer at a synagogue. On another occasion at a different synagogue, Brand stood in front of a minor and touched his genitals for an extended period while the boy was praying the Amidah. When the complainant attempted to move away, Brand followed and continued his actions.
The indictment further details how Brand exploited the presence of minors in the city's mikvahs. In October 2026, he touched a minor's genitals as the boy exited the immersion pool. In another incident in early 2026, he pushed his hand into another minor's buttocks in the changing area. Additionally, it is detailed that in early 2024, he committed indecent acts against a minor under 14 in a mikvah, and then followed the boy to the "Yesh Chasdei" supermarket in the Lev HaRimah mall, touching his genitals over his clothing.
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