New York – Convicted Child Molester Sues Monsey Rabbi For Slander

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    (Left) Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz is being suit by Convicted child moster Yona WeinbergNew York – A Monsey rabbi who has long been an outspoken voice in the battle against sexual abuse is finding himself facing another fight after being sued by a convicted child molester for defamation.

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    According to a report in Yediot Acharonot, Yona Weinberg, who moved to Jerusalem last year, won a summary judgment against Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, director of Project Y.E.S., for using Twitter to warn Har Nof residents that their new neighbor was a registered level three sexual offender and a convicted pedophile who presented a clear and present danger to their children.

    As previously reported on VIN News, Weinberg, a former Flatbush social worker and a bar mitzvah tutor, was convicted of sexually abusing two boys, ages 12 and 13, in 2009 and sentenced to 13 months in prison.

    In the lawsuit, Weinberg claimed that Rabbi Horowitz’s warnings created tremendous difficulties for him, both with his neighbors and with his children’s schools. Weinberg’s attorney, Eitan Lehmann told Yediot Acharonot that the suit is unrelated to his previous conviction.

    “The issue at hand is that Rabbi Horowitz lied when he claims that my client fled the United States or that there are new charges being brought against him, which are harmful lies,” said Lehmann.

    VIN News reached out to Rabbi Horowitz, who declined to comment on the ongoing case, but according to a Daily News report, police went to Weinberg’s home last January to arrest him for assaulting an 11 year old Brooklyn boy last January, only to discover that Weinberg had moved to Israel.

    Because the assault charge is only a misdemeanor, Weinberg will not be extradited from Israel but a spokesperson at Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson’s office said that Weinberg will face charges if he ever returns to New York.

    An email sent by Rabbi Horowitz on Friday said he was served with papers at his Monsey home this past June informing him that an Israeli court had issued a summary judgment against him, obligating him to pay Weinberg 200,000 NIS ($55,000 USD) plus court costs for publicly slandering him.

    Rabbi Horowitz added that his lawyer had the judgment set aside, but that he is still facing potential legal action and hefty fines, a prospect that he described as a campaign of “use/abuse of power, manipulation and intimidation.”

    The notion that a convicted child molester could successfully strike back against those who call him out for his actions was particularly disturbing to Rabbi Horowitz, who mused that the specter of potential lawsuits could potentially prevent abuse victims from coming forward.

    “If Weinberg is picking a public fight with a balding 56 year old who has a public voice, media access and a history of advocacy, just imagine what he might do/have done to the frightened single mother who pressed charges against him in the first place,” wrote Rabbi Horowitz.

    Rabbi Horowitz described Weinberg’s case against him as “jaw-dropping.”

    “The idea that an Israel court didn’t dismiss the charges is inexplicable to me,” Rabbi Horowitz told Yediot Acharonot. “I made the public aware of information that the United States government felt is appropriate to publicize.”

    “Unfortunately, the Israeli government has seen fit to take in a dangerous sexual offender who has the gall to sue someone for warning the public of the danger that he presents,” added Rabbi Horowitz’s attorney, Yitzchak Baum.


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    37 Comments
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    8 years ago

    Sex offenders residence are public records in the US, arent they? This is not a moyerdige slenderizing. Its just a warning for parents there and sorry for his kids. But its very open public info in US anyway and a therapist once told me of the deep pain that stays for a very very long time inside a raped or abused child. So let the yerushalmis beware. Enough cover ups as is… dont need more cover ups

    shaya1
    shaya1
    8 years ago

    Rabbi horowitz lost my trust when he marked the Anivarsery of The year of Mr weberman conviction. No matter if he is guilty or not. What gain did he have marking that just to insult more his family if all wasn’t enough. And making people aware that he still exists. Therefore I don’t have much sympthty for him being now busy with lawyers and hefty fees……

    8 years ago

    And the fact that Israel has allowed scores of child molesters to flee to Israel is also inexplicable and horrible.

    8 years ago

    Thank you RABBI YAAKOV HOROWITZ for being a breath of fresh air, may you be Matzliach In ALL that you do.

    8 years ago

    Har Nof is a haven for child molesters. We considered putting our girls in a dorm there but luckily we found out the place is owned by a creep who actually molested children on the property. His family stick by him and look after the place and the business while he sits – for the second time. To them he is completely innocent. Apparently in Israel there is no such thing as a sex offenders registry, so people have no idea who is living next door, it’s frightening.

    8 years ago

    Thank you rabbi Horowitz. No convicted abuser should be able to move to another area and be able to hide their past, work in schools and with kids. Jail doesn’t change who they are and stop them from reoffending. Information is the best antidote!!

    BarryLS1
    BarryLS1
    8 years ago

    Sure, the best way for a pedophile to keep a low profile is to publically sue someone! What a faker. The suit itself should defeat any case against Rabbi Horowitz, since that draws far more publicity towards him that Rabbi Horowitz could have done on his own.

    shaya1
    shaya1
    8 years ago

    (Reply to #8 )
    I hear you. The conversation itself is too complex for now. But this doesn&#8 217;t change the fact that it wasn&#8 217;t called for. And many people were like. Hey you scored off enough on this one. Keep it cool

    shmielglassman
    shmielglassman
    8 years ago

    1. this is good pr for rabbi horowitz – a good man but he LOVES the spotlight.
    2. how is a guy & his family ever to start over ? i dont have the answer but its a good question
    3. isreal does not have the same laws as the states & thats why the court did not throw out the case –

    OYVY2
    OYVY2
    8 years ago

    Yasher Koach to Rabbi Horowitz, he is a singular force in the battle to let parents know about the horrible scourge of pedophiles and their whereabouts. If all our “leaders” would step forward as he does, perhaps we can start looking after our precious children and indeed be responsible for generations to come. Don’t put your head in the sand

    shaya1
    shaya1
    8 years ago

    (Reply to 13)

    Good point!!!!

    (Reply to 12)
    the discussion is rabbi horowits not guilt or not. He overdid it. And now he is eating it

    ekatz
    ekatz
    8 years ago

    My son was a classmate of Weinberg in mesivta. Yes, he seemed like a nice guy, and maybe in some respects he is, but he has a mental disorder which makes him a terrible sakono for a community. If a nice guy with a fatal communicable disease was moving into an unsuspecting community, would you remain silent?
    To “a few points”: I hate to even have to dignify your accusation against R. Horowitz as seeking publicity with a response, but when you are almost the only voice willing to speak out against a horrible machalo, you need publicity. Going into Yom Kippur, you may want to think about what the Chofetz Chaim says about hotza’as shem ra.
    How can an abuser start over? Maybe he can start by tshuva, which includes azivas hachet and kablolo al habo Since my understanding is that the recidivism rate is almost 100%, any kabolo al habo which does not include serious therapy is a joke.
    An Israeli court is persecuting a yid for being mekayaim a mitzva “Lo sa’amod al dam reyecha”
    I hope there is someone in the Israeli legal system who has rachmonus on Yiddishe kinder.
    I wish RH and his family a ksiva vachasiima tova and a year of continued hatzlocho.

    ekatz
    ekatz
    8 years ago

    Has anyone considered the damage this does to Israel as a nation? Israel is constantly bombarded with a toxic mixture of outright lies and insanely hypocritical accusations. Now we have an unsympathetic administration, and our support in congress seems to be in danger of eroding.
    Do we reallly need to hand our enemies another weapon – an apparently justified accusation that Israel offers not only a haven for US abusers, but also a legal mechanism to retaliate against their victims?
    How hard would it be for the Knesset to carve out an exception for convicted abusers? I would hope they would act out of compassion for helpless children, but if not, then let them act to try to mitigate some of the damage this is doing to Israel’s reputation. I think that the support we have in the US is largely based on a (correct) perception that Israel holds itself to a higher moral standard.
    The doctrine that crying “fire” in a crowded theater should not be legally protected speech is based on the assumption that there is, in actuality, no fire!

    BLONDI
    BLONDI
    8 years ago

    Huh? Yona Weinberg was found guilty, sentenced for 13 months and thinks he is innocent? Thank you Rabbi Horowitz for not letting ‘ blind’ parents fall.. should definitely be publicized to unsuspecting parents and children of this sick person

    berylyoseph
    berylyoseph
    8 years ago

    Without passing a judgement on Webermans guilt. I can tell the Jewish men that are so utterly convinced that justice was served. That knowing the composition of the jury that convicted him. That most of them would loved to lock you up too. Had they been able to. Also , I would like to meet a black or spanish guy who got a 100 DAYS sentence for “Yichud”.

    8 years ago

    This disgusting chutzpadike molestor belongs in jail. Unfortunately, he is free and living in Har Nof where he can continue chas v’shalom to molest more innocent children. Not only is he free, but he has the chutzpa to sue Rabbi Horowitz for warning parents to protect their children from him!!! Studies show that molestors almost never stop their crimes, and they can molest hundreds of children in their lifetime. They have no conscience, they do not feel guilty or have any feelings for their victims. Their victims, on the other hand, are often destroyed for life. Many of them develop tremendous inner pain, depression, psychosis, and cannot lead normal lives. Some turn to drugs and others commit suicide. Do you want to know what Gehennon is? Talk to a victim of child sexual abuse. You will very quickly change your mind about having rachmones for these monsters. They are murders of innocent souls, and they never stop looking for new victims. The only way to stop them is to lock them up and throw away the key. Thank God Weberman is in jail for life, and I hope that this monster will also be put away for life.

    ActualJew
    ActualJew
    8 years ago

    All power to the rabbi in his battle against this sicko.