In a secure operations room in central Israel, police investigators monitor chat rooms, anonymous messaging apps and closed social media groups, searching for adults who pose as children to exploit minors online.
The unit, known as 105 and operating under Lahav 433 — the police’s major crimes division — was established in 2018 as a joint law enforcement and civilian response center to combat online crimes against children. Officials say it has become a critical line of defense as minors gain earlier access to smartphones and social media.
3 View gallery
Chief Insp. Ohad Yahav and Sgt. Maj. Haim Yohanan of the 105 cybercrime unit
(Photo: Rian Frois)
“For many children, we are the last barrier before the attacker,” said Chief Insp. Ohad Yahav, an investigations officer at the 105 center and a father of three. “As a parent, it’s sometimes hard to process what children are exposed to online.”
The center handles criminal cases involving sexual exploitation, as well as complaints of bullying, shaming, harassment and suicidal distress. If a report crosses the criminal threshold, it is transferred to investigators who use cyber and intelligence tools to identify suspects who often hide behind fake identities, including AI-generated voices and videos.
From its launch in February 2018 through the end of 2025, the hotline handled more than 76,000 reports, including 16,292 last year and 9,511 in 2024. Officials attribute the rise both to growing public awareness and to the expanding digital exposure of children, some as young as 7 or 8.
Investigators warn that artificial intelligence has made it harder to distinguish between authentic users and impostors. “Today you can fake a voice or create a video that looks completely real,” Yahav said. “A single embarrassing photo can quickly turn into sexual extortion.” Police say they have encountered cases involving children as young as 9 who were coerced into performing sexual acts on video or sending explicit images.
In one recent investigation, police said an 11-year-old girl began chatting on the Omegle platform with someone posing as a teenage boy. The conversation later moved to WhatsApp and TikTok, where the suspect allegedly pressured her to perform explicit acts and send images. Investigators said the suspect has been identified as an adult and is expected to be arrested. Police declined to provide further details because of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities say many such cases begin on anonymous chat platforms that randomly connect users worldwide, making oversight and reporting difficult. Yahav urged parents to regularly review the apps their children download and understand the digital environments they frequent. “Familiarity with their online space is the only way to help keep them safe,” he said.
In another case, police said a 26-year-old man posed as a teenage boy and targeted a girl who had posted online that she was being bullied at school. After gaining her trust, he allegedly persuaded her to send intimate images.
One of the most serious investigations in recent years involved a 22-year-old Israeli man, identified as Ori Alfi, who police say posed online as a woman named “Maria.” Using manipulated video and audio tools and foreign eSIM phone numbers to mask his identity, Alfi allegedly convinced adult men and teenage boys to record themselves in explicit acts, in some cases involving their own children or younger siblings.
The investigation began after U.S. authorities alerted police to an Israeli profile that had persuaded a father to abuse his child in exchange for a promised meeting. According to the indictment, Alfi used platforms including Catch Chat, WhatsApp, TikTok and Telegram to contact victims between 2024 and January 2025. Police say he built trust through recorded explicit videos and voice messages, then escalated to demands for increasingly severe acts.
More than 200 videos classified as child sexual abuse material were found on devices seized from Alfi, police said. He has been charged with multiple counts related to sexual exploitation and possession of child abuse material. Four fathers have also been indicted in connection with the case.
Police say some victims were threatened with exposure if they refused to comply — a tactic known as sextortion. Authorities report a growing number of complaints involving such schemes, in which perpetrators first entice victims to send explicit material and then demand money to prevent its release.
“Once you pay, you become easy prey,” Yahav said, urging victims to contact the 105 hotline or a local police station rather than comply with extortion demands.
The 105 center combines police investigators with representatives from several government ministries, including education and welfare services. When incidents do not meet the criminal threshold, callers are referred for counseling or community support.
Dr. Nava Cohen Avigdor, who heads the civilian branch of the center on behalf of the National Security Ministry, said the model has drawn international interest. “Children often cannot report abuse or bullying to parents or teachers,” she said. “They can contact us anonymously.”
Volunteers under the “Knights of the Net” program monitored more than 4,000 online posts expressing distress in 2025, she said, including messages suggesting suicidal thoughts. Emergency cases are referred in real time to professional responders.
According to 2025 data from the center, Instagram accounted for 20% of reported incidents, followed by WhatsApp at 19% and TikTok at 15%. In 72% of identified cases of online harm, the alleged perpetrators were themselves minors under 18.
“The internet is a positive space that supports development,” Cohen Avigdor said. “Our role is to identify the dangers and provide immediate help to those who need rescue.”