Israeli Woman Detained for Impersonating Man to Commit Sexual Offenses Online

The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court extended the detention of a local woman until Thursday, who is suspected of impersonating a man named "Orel Hazan" to engage in sexual acts with women online. The police allege that she deceived several women, four of whom filed complaints, by convincing them they were interacting with a man and inducing them to perform sexual acts on themselves.

The suspect's lawyer, Arz Bar Tzvi, stated in court that before her arrest, representatives from investigative journalist Haim Etgar's program contacted her for a response to the allegations. The suspect sought legal help to draft a reply. Subsequently, Etgar and some complainants went to the Petah Tikva police station to file complaints. The police confirmed these details but denied claims that the complainants coordinated their testimonies. They emphasized that the suspect never met the women in person and that all offenses occurred online.

The defense argued the incidents were old, linked to a journalistic investigation, and suggested possible contamination of the investigation, criticizing the police for not examining this. The suspect admitted to impersonation but denied sharing explicit images or videos or committing sexual offenses.

Judge Erez Melamed justified the detention extension by citing multiple offenses involving impersonation and sexual misconduct, stating the evidence so far establishes reasonable suspicion. He noted the suspect cooperated but that was insufficient, warning she might obstruct the investigation if released. The judge also mentioned the complexity of ongoing investigative actions likely to continue beyond the detention period requested by the police.