Sullivan County, NY – State Police: Abuse Allegations At Orthodox Camp Unfounded; Offender Arrested For Trespassing

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    Sullivan County, NY – State police have arrested and charged 31-year-old Yoel Oberlander of Monsey, a registered sex offender, with trespassing on the Camp Shalva premises in South Fallsburg in the early morning hours of August 8. He is in custody in the Sullivan County jail and is being held on $5,500 bail.

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    The New York Post reports (http://bit.ly/R5Rhs5) that State Police Capt. Joseph Tripodo said Oberlander “knowingly entered and unlawfully remained in the bunk, the sleeping quarters of the boys.” Security cameras captured Oberlander creeping into the buildings which housed the sleeping campers, but despite earlier allegations of child molestation, Capt. Tripodo said an investigation revealed “no allegation of sexual abuse.”

    Oberlander was employed as a truck driver for Golden Taste, a kosher-food business. In 2002, he was convicted of sexually abusing an 11-year-old Rockland County girl. Camp Shalva authorities purportedly waited an estimated 35 hours before they contacted a criminal attorney who advised them to call the police.

    The attorney for Camp Shalva, E. David Scharf, said surveillance video showed Oberlander in the halls “going in and out of the sleeping quarters with not enough time to commit an act of molestation.” In an interview with VIN News, Scharf added, “Once we got back information that the person involved was allegedly a level two sex offender out of Rockland County, the camp made the determination that an internal camp investigation was no longer sufficient and they contacted law enforcement.”

    The police were first notified about the incident by Survivors for Justice, a group that advocates for victims of sexual abuse. Survivors for Justice said they received word that the male campers had been molested by a trespasser, but that campers were instructed not to contact their parents.

    “An immediate report would have protected kids in other camps where this driver was making deliveries that day and the next,” remarked Survivors for Justice Spokesman Ben Hirsch. “We hope the children were not pressured into changing their stories.”


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    72 Comments
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    handbag
    handbag
    11 years ago

    A+ for Bobov for reporting and pressing charges for trespassing

    bennym
    bennym
    11 years ago

    Wow. Charlie Heinz is so powerful he even influenced the police update.

    handbag
    handbag
    11 years ago

    And for all those who attacked Camp administration for not calling police earlier – good try. looks like the was no real molestation since Yoel Oberlander was chased out after only a few minutes and was unsuccessful in his mission. Camp administration therefore didn’t handle it as a 911 emergency but rather took some time to confirm the facts and contact the proper authorities

    Great Job

    Thoughtful
    Thoughtful
    11 years ago

    I’m sure there will be a sincere apology forthcoming from the self appointed “child molestation obssesed mob” who indicted this individual as well as the camp….

    lenared
    lenared
    11 years ago

    “Tripodo said an investigation found “no allegation of sexual abuse.” – So Nuchem and Shmaryia do we have to fire the chief Police now ???
    You always know better than everyone…. The Camp did an excellent job with interviewing the kids and reviewing the cameras and contacting the family and police.
    And when they said last week that there are no evidence of sexual abuse it was a whole joke…. turns out they did an amazing job!

    handbag
    handbag
    11 years ago

    However this is no joke he attempted to abuse children

    handbag
    handbag
    11 years ago

    Video די
    צייגט וואו ער שפאצירט אריין אין ארויס פין א שלאף צימער פין כיתה ח’ אין דרייצן מינוט שפעטער לויפט ער ארויס פין בנין . קיינער ווייסט נישט גענוי וואס ער האט געטיהן אין די דרייצן מינוט, די בחורים זענען געווען אין א בחינה פין “נים ולא נים תיר ולא תיר” זיי ווייסען נאר אז איינער האט זיך געדרייט אין אנגערירט בעטן. זעט אויס אז נאך א וואך האבין די פאלציי מחליט געווען אז ער האט געוואלט… אבער ס’איז נישט געלינגען (עכ”פ אז זיי האבין נישט קיין ראיה אז ער האט מצליח געווען

    ConcernedMember
    ConcernedMember
    11 years ago

    No one thinks that a convicted sex offender entering bunks containing sleeping children is a reason to call 911? Ok then…

    Whatever moron sent that particular driver up to a children’s camp should be held accountable for this. I’m not saying don’t let the guy work after he served his sentence, but there are simple steps to take to make sure he doesn’t encounter children, and certainly not sleeping unsupervised children who are sitting ducks.

    Yerachmiel
    Yerachmiel
    11 years ago

    for a bunch of yeshiva leit you are lame. Every word counts. Stam they say, no abuse found. Here they say no allegations of abuse found. Why add the word allegation. To imply that they wont say innocent of abuse because when they iterviewed the boys the camp administration sat in on the sessions. Moshe Bacon did the trayf act of telling kids not to even say anything to their parents. Kal v’chomer not to police. v’od, with him or others from the camp at the interviews they would not dare say anything. Intimidated eidim are not trusted eidim. Ask around and you will find out that Bacon fries anyone who dares to disagree with him. He shouts, he pushes and thus he can conceal. the police have figured that out. Don’t be surprised if there end up being allegations if not during camp session, once the kids get home in a few weeks.

    I ask you something, how confident you be about the saftey of your kids if convicted molesters are walking in and out of their rooms in the middle of the night. Rov times that happens, something more happens.

    In US trials everthing is guilty or not guilty. In Scotland, iirc, they have a third category, not proven guilty. I would add, YET!

    1stAmendment
    1stAmendment
    11 years ago

    It’s scary to hear, while a few hundred campers are sleeping a stranger can roam around undetected by security or staff, get into a building and touch someone; With no trained or properly Armed staff the camp is an open house!

    SamEiger
    SamEiger
    11 years ago

    f the NYT and the NYP are using something as a tool to batter the frum community that is the greatest proof of who is trying to accomplish what. This story should have been handled quietly away from the media without the bashing of a good responsible camp/community.Since when do we have the right to drag a whole community down based on hearsay and wild rumors? All those who posted hysterical comments and wild accusations on the original story should be publicly asking mechila. Maybe in the Bobov Bais Medrash in BP.

    1stAmendment
    1stAmendment
    11 years ago

    It’s great to hear Camp Shalva has Cameras for Security, it’s very clear yet again cameras doesn’t prevent crimes. Think again before you support the cameras in Borough Park, where you give control to a few individual elites and Big Brother.

    mashi
    mashi
    11 years ago

    I don’t understand. The boys that said he did something with them. Made it up? They lied? Doesn’t make any sense unless they are hiding something, Why woukld those kids lie about something like ythat?

    DovidTheK
    DovidTheK
    11 years ago

    if he was a sex offender and did this does it mean he should go back to jail now? That is probably where he belongs until he straightens himself out.

    joeyfromupstate
    joeyfromupstate
    11 years ago

    really???? he didnt do it ????? can it be ??? impossiable every allegation is just a true cover up, no ???? bunch of low lifes declare someone guilty before any facts come out…… this is pure rishus and this story just proves the fact numerously stated by gedola yisroel and agudah org, that every story before being publisized and before taking peoples lives and flushing down the toilet it should be reviewed by rabonim that understand the matzav, no one is saying that if we dont know 100 % that a person commited a terriable act not to call the police but what the rabonim are saying is, that when a story like this arises if it would be properly reviewed and the results being that nothing happend wouldnt leak out to the press and machshilim that look to bash every jew alike, this yingerman wouldnt been bashed and embarssed for nothing …….

    11 years ago

    Epes, something still doesn’t sound right. There are many, many unanswered questions here and the parents are still demanding answers.

    curious
    curious
    11 years ago

    A lot of interesting info came to light. Typically, sex offenders are gender specific. This guy probably only desires young girls. It is very curious that he ended up in a bunk, though. If all that was reported was trespassing, then the camp was in the right. If the kids said he did inappropriate things to them, that’s a different story

    AuthenticSatmar
    AuthenticSatmar
    11 years ago

    The charges will be dropped. He had a right to be in the camp as he was making deliveries. The video captures him looking for a bathroom, and no where is there any proof of any attempt at any molestation. This is a story blown out of proportion by the “”.

    Yaakov2
    Yaakov2
    11 years ago

    The investigators never said that the allegations are “unfounded”.

    They just couldn’t come up with witnesses and proof.

    If anything really happened or not, we may never know because the possible victims were asleep.

    The children may not have been aware of what happened to them in their sleep and if they have no witnesses, they have to let him go.

    11 years ago

    The kids were told not to tell their parents anything. The kids were interviewed by police with the camp administration in the same room!!!! If you threaten a kid to keep quiet, the kid will keep quiet!!! Why did the camp leaders erase the tapes to begin with? We were lucky the security company had a backup!!!

    Wait til the truth comes out since these kids are now in private therapy, paid for by their parents.

    11 years ago

    Notice the report says Survivors for Justice contacted the police, not the camp. In my mind the camp is utterly irresponsible. Just because there wasn’t enough time to commit an act, this man is a REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER and being around children when they are sleeping is dangerous!

    11 years ago

    By not notifying 911 immediately, but seeming to try and cover up what may have happened, by apparently advising the children not to tell their parents, the camp is merely enabling other child molesters to march right in and keep doing what they do. A culture of silence is unacceptable. Who will speak for those children?

    Kosher_Ham
    Kosher_Ham
    11 years ago

    Bakon, or should I say Bacon, is the same type of enabler of Oberlander as Lipa Margolis is of Kolko. If Bacon let the children talk to the police without insisting on being present, the outcome could’ve been different and Oberlander could’ve been rightfully locked up, where he belongs. Instead, Bacon is only concerned about his own bacon that the camp not get liable for allowing a Class 2 on its premises and get sued for that negligence. To Bacon $$ are far more important than children. Let’s see down the road how many of these campers end up OTD because these b’haimshe administrators don’t have the skills or professional training on how to handle these situations.

    rikki
    Member
    rikki
    11 years ago

    WHY, OH, WHY?????? Do others think that the parents shouldn’t know what happened? Why is this guy being protected? Does this mean if my child has some emergency/accident or some other incident, the parents shouldn’t be told?
    As a parent, let me know what’s going on and I’ll decide what is best for my child under the circumstances. It’s so easy and mind boggling to see and hear that as long as it’s not one of the decision makers’ children—then shove it under the rug like it never happened. The camp’s reputation is MORE important….sounds like Paterno making a decision for what’s good for him personally!!

    savtat
    savtat
    11 years ago

    Rabbi Horowitz of Monsey – gave a talk – in it he says the number 1 red flag is “do not tell your parents.” Children should be taught from a very young age that if someone tells you: “Don’t tell your parents” they should run immediately to tell the parent and the parent should give them a reward!!

    Basic common sense tells you that a sex offender in a bunk IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT is a threat!!!! Hello!!!!

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    11 years ago

    Anyone who had a known thief knowingly enter a private domain wherein over $1 million dollars was stored would be very, very concerned, and see to it that this thief never be granted any chance to commit a crime.

    Child molesters steal much more than money from our children. They steal their innocence. They murder their souls. Victims are often emotionally scarred for life. They may never be able to have typical relationships. The list goes on.

    Why would we not assess the risk to our children the same way we would assess the risk to our property?

    Who would not have immediately called the police if he discovered a thief inside his house, let alone touching his safe?

    Our children are priceless… aren’t they?

    11 years ago

    I’m still reading the comments from those who base their accusations and schmutz on sheer rumor. Let’s wait for the facts, then we’ll analyze them for wrongdoing, or failures of responsibility. Meanwhile, we don’t even know if anything happened. This thread is getting sickening.

    Dovid_from_Modiin
    Dovid_from_Modiin
    11 years ago

    Lets look at the facts.
    1. Yoel Oberlander, a delivery person was found trespassing through the boys bunks between 4 am and 5 am according to the NY post article.

    2. Yoel Oberlander is a registered “Level 2 sex offender”. He was convicted of Sexual Contact, Kidnapping/Unlawful Imprisonment.

    3. Unfortunately Yoel Oberlander had one hour of roaming around the boys bunk. That is enough time for several crimes to be committed.

    4. The camp waits 35 hours before notifying the police that a level 2 sex offender was found roaming around the boys bunks for one hour in the middle of the night. Most likely any physical evidence that may have been was destroyed in those 35 hours. I give some credit to the camp and lawyer that they did come forward but it still appears to be a serious cover up.

    5. The Camp director and camp staff are not trained to determine if a crime was NOT committed and should have called the police within the hour or two.

    6. By not calling the police immediately!!! The camp director has allowed this ANIMAL an additional 35 hours to roam around other camps sleeping quarters putting more children at risk.

    7. “Golden Taste” sends a sex offender to a boys camp in violation of all morality and New York State Law. Personally if I lived in America for kashurt reasons I would avoid “Golden Taste”. If they are willing to send a sex offender to places where children congregate than I don’t know what else they would do… Golden Taste is a place that needs to be forced to get a mashgiach tamid and extra mashgiachim.

    The Camp director and anyone else involve in this possible 35 hours cover up should be relived of their duties and be banned from future work related to anything involving children.