Police arrested several suspects for distributing and selling intimate images and pornographic videos of women on Telegram, allegedly earning hundreds of thousands of shekels, possibly up to a million ($270,000–$275,000).
The investigation, led by the Israel Police Southern District’s fraud unit, began two years ago with a single complaint involving a video of a minor, but no additional complainants have been identified.
The suspects face charges of money laundering, privacy violations, distributing obscene materials, intentional tax evasion and other offenses, having profited by sharing content without the victims’ consent.
The group allegedly operated a Telegram channel posting explicit videos nearly daily for three years, with customers paying via the Bit money transferring app. One suspect, Uri Saadon, a 23-year-old prison guard from Ashkelon, was a key figure in the network. During questioning, police accused him of offering to procure a young woman, to which he reportedly replied: “So what?”
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Saadon initially claimed his actions stemmed from foolishness and admitted some content was obtained through exploitation or without consent, and earned him commissions. At a second detention hearing in Be’er Sheva’s Magistrate Court, police labeled him a dangerous individual likely to exploit women again.
Judge Orit Koretz remanded his detention by six days, saying that distributing obscene materials fuels a chain of sexual exploitation and encourages further production of such content.
Another key suspect, a 36-year-old from central Israel, claimed ignorance of any wrongdoing, saying he merely forwarded videos and images. His detention was extended until Sunday. His attorney, Kobi Ben Shaya, argued the police exaggerated the case, denying all allegations against his client.
Kobi Ben ShayaSome suspects reported women requesting content removal and one received a warning about the illegality of his actions but ignored it, according to police. The investigation highlights the challenges of combating online exploitation and the significant profits derived from non-consensual content distribution.