At mikveh and synagogues: 33-year-old man indicted for sex offenses against minors in Beit Shemesh

An indictment was filed against Yehiel Yehoshua Brand, a 33-year-old resident of Beit Shemesh, for sex offenses against four minors aged 13-16. According to the indictment, Brand exploited various opportunities to commit the acts at a mikveh, in synagogues, and in public places in the city.

A serious indictment was filed at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court against Yehiel Yehoshua Brand, a 33-year-old resident of Beit Shemesh, for sex offenses against four minors aged 13 to 16. According to the indictment, filed by attorney Bracha Ben Adret-Zerachia from the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office, the acts were committed at a mikveh, in synagogues, and in a public place in the city, between 2022 and 2024. In one described case, Brand pressed against a minor during the Amidah prayer in a synagogue, touched his genitals, and rubbed against him, continuing his actions even as the youth tried to push him away. In other cases, he committed indecent acts against minors at the mikveh, including touching a minor's genitals as he left the immersion pool and touching a minor's buttocks in the changing area. The indictment attributes to him offenses of indecent act, indecent act against a minor under 14, and attempted indecent act. The investigation was conducted by the Israel Police at the Beit Shemesh station.