Man Posing as Young Masseuse Charged with Raping Mentally Disabled Woman in Bat Yam

Rafael Sherga, 51, from Bat Yam, has been indicted by the prosecution for rape and sexual offenses against a 19-year-old woman with an intellectual disability. Sherga allegedly misrepresented himself as Shlomo, a 28-year-old masseuse, and convinced the victim to accompany him to a hotel, exploiting her condition to commit the crimes.

According to the indictment, Sherga offered the woman a massage despite her refusal and persuaded her to go with him to a hotel in Bat Yam by falsely claiming he would rent a room for them. The victim, unaware of his true intentions due to her disability, believed he would provide a massage and expressed discomfort about undressing or being alone with him.

During the car ride, Sherga raped and sexually assaulted her multiple times, causing physical injuries by hitting her. He also instructed her not to answer calls from her family, who eventually sensed her distress and alerted the police. Sherga fled the hotel before authorities arrived.

The charges include aggravated rape and sexual offenses committed without consent and exploiting the victim's intellectual disability. The prosecution has requested Sherga's detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings. Further details have been restricted from publication.