A former technology executive was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for a series of sexual offenses against children as young as four, following a plea deal that spared the victims the trauma of testifying in court.
The Central District Court in Lod handed down the sentence to 52-year-old Itay Levy, a resident of Modi’in who previously served as the CEO of a cyber security firm. In addition to the prison term, the three-judge panel ordered Levy to pay 258,000 shekels (approximately $68,000) in maximum compensation to the victims.
Itay Levy
Levy had pleaded guilty to charges including sexual offenses and invasion of privacy. According to the amended indictment, the crimes occurred over an 18-month period. Prosecutors stated that Levy secretly filmed or photographed children in various states of undress without their knowledge. The evidence further detailed instances in which the defendant committed acts of sexual abuse, including oral contact, while manipulating the children with various pretexts to facilitate the acts.
In their sentencing remarks, the judges — Hadas Rosenberg-Sheinert, Amit Michals, and Eliana Danieli — described the defendant’s actions as “revolting” and “disgusting,” emphasizing the profound harm inflicted upon the young victims and their families.
The court explained that it chose to honor the negotiated plea agreement due to several factors, most notably the desire to protect the families. By admitting to the charges, Levy spared the victims and their parents from the ordeal of a protracted trial and the necessity of testifying about the traumatic events. The court also took into account that Levy had no prior criminal record and had proactively deposited the full amount of court-ordered compensation before the sentencing hearing.
Addressing the parents directly, the court acknowledged the devastation they shared during the proceedings and expressed hope that the conclusion of the criminal trial would provide them with a measure of peace to focus on the future and well-being of their children.
Speaking outside the courthouse, Attorney Iris Picker Segal of the Central District Attorney’s Office noted that the decade-long sentence reflected the gravity of the abuse.
"The long prison sentence... reflects the great severity of his actions, which were carried out through cynical exploitation over time against helpless preschool-aged children," Picker Segal said. "The defendant caused severe and profound harm to the bodies and souls of tender-aged children and to the sense of security of parents who entrusted their children to the defendant's home out of trust."
She added that the prosecution’s primary motivation for entering into the plea bargain was to prioritize the mental health and stability of the victims' families by avoiding the necessity of a public trial.