Newark, NJ – A Monsey, New York, man appeared in federal court today to face charges that he sexually abused a woman on a flight from Israel to Newark Liberty International
Airport, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
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Yoel Oberlander, 35, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of abusive sexual contact on an airplane. Oberlander had his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court and was detained.
According to the complaint:
While on a May 29, 2016 El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Newark, Oberlander was seated next to a female passenger and her mother. During the flight, Oberlander repeatedly placed his hand on the female passenger’s thigh and breast without her consent.
Oberlander is a registered sex offender. He was previously convicted in 2002 in New York for sexual abuse in the second degree, arising from his sexual assault of an eleven-year-old
girl.
The abusive sexual contact charge carries a statutory maximum of up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
I get the impression El Al flights are more dramatic than most.
Before you all start screaming that this poor Chasid is a korban, READ!!! He is a CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER. This time they should castrate him & lock him up for ever.
When will this airline finally make a separate section for men who can’t control their yetzer hara. Apparently it’s a way bigger problem for this community than most others.
If he had been prosecuted for his Camp excursion into bunks in the nighttime in 2012, who knows how many victims would have been spared. It was reported by Mary Murphy on WPIX11 at the time. For that matter, the community did the world no favor in helping him avoid a prison sentence when he was convicted in 2002 for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an eleven-year-old girl.
Federal charges are no joke, he will be locked away for a long time.
To#6 At least if he were locked up, he would not be committing crimes against women and children!! Doesn’t he belong behind bars? He got off way too easy!!
Let him join the minyan in prison!!
I think VIN NEWS is to be applauded for reporting on this story!
Although I do think his picture should’ve appeared as well.
The world along with the Kehila at large should understand we will no longer hide these dangerous predators in our midst we will expose them and show the world they are no longer welcome in our communities !
To #3- That pervert will not necessarily receive a long sentence; there was a similar incident on a Delta flight in 2012, (en route from Israel to JFK), whereby an Israeli Rabbi with eleven kids, placed his hand in the private area, of a sleeping female reserve IDF officer, who was seated next to him. He was arrested, charged, indicted, and convicted. All that pervert received was 60 days in prison; then, he was deported.
To No 7… Jews are always judged as a group, for good or bad. In addition to the 613 mitzvot, we also represent H”KBH in the world. And, for that reason, when something like this surfaces, everyone points their finger at us. Sadly, this man has a problem and he is a mazik. We are supposed to protect our women and children. He should be put on the El Al no fly list. I would have socked him.
So why does every one get so upset when chareidim try not to sit next women on the plane? I am not saying that there is any excuse for inappropriate behavior, I am just saying that such harchakos would be very helpful. Besides, we must remember that not only what this guy purportedly did is assur. Unclean thoughts are to be avoided as well which is why we try to avoid putting ourselves in situations where that might be beyond our control.
Obviously, this guy is a “rodef”. It is NOT his first offense as noted, he is a registered sex offender. No one is being a good samaritan when they “help” him stay out of jail or not have the appropriate consequences for his actions. No one is being a “good” Jew when they ignore their responsibilities to the “k’all” and protect the innocent children from his potential threat. The camp that told the kids NOT to tell their parents what happened, the camp that didn’t charge him with trespassing and violating their campers, the camp that did NOT stand up for their kids, the business that did NOT fire him, the Parents that did not charge him, did NOT do anyone any favors and did NOT act in the best interest of the rest of the Olam. This menuval belongs in jail where he can’t harm anyone else. As you see, he did harm another young adult and she will have to live with the memory of his groping her right next to her mother for many, many years to come. Where is the concern for this child?????