A yeshiva teacher from central Israel was arrested Monday on suspicion of sexually extorting teenagers through a messaging app.
According to the police, the teacher contacted several minors through the "Hangouts" app, presenting himself as a fellow teenager. After forming a relationship with them, he would ask the teens, all aged 14-15, to send him sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves in exchange for money.
The police said once the suspect would receive the initial photos, he would pressure the teens into providing more sexually explicit material. If they refused, he would threaten them that he would publish the ones he already had on various websites.
The suspect was arrested on June 16 and has been in custody ever since. His remand has been extended until June 30.
He is facing charges of committing an indecent act on a minor under the age of 16, extortion by threats, possession of an indecent material containing a minor and the exploitation of a minor.
"As part of police efforts to protect children from harm online, Lahav 433's Unit 105 has been conducting covert operations following reports to the division's hotline of alleged sexual extortion of several minors," police said in a statement.
"During the investigation, which has now become public, an array of technological means were used to collect evidence, as well as testimony from the victims and all others involved."