Kiryas Joel, NY – Hours after FBI agents entered Kiryas Joel and raided two well known village entities, sources in both Orange County law enforcement source and Kiryas Joel have confirmed that today’s activity was linked to video footage showing a school principal embracing and kissing a student in his office.
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As previously reported on VIN News (http://goo.gl/yzZt3G), two videos had surfaced recently on social media, with one showing the principal of United Talmudical Academy of Kiryas Joel repeatedly kissing a young boy on the mouth, and the other capturing the principal giving a student with candy as he held the boy closely.
A statement released Tuesday by the school’s board of directors defended the principal who has been an educator for 30 years and denied that any abuse had taken place.
The Times Herald Record reported that search warrants were executed today at the school, located on Getzel Berger Boulevard, and at the Kiryas Joel Department of Public Safety on Schunnemunk Road.
FBI agents, representatives of the Sullivan County District Attorney’s office and members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department were all observed on scene.
Officials at UTA confirmed that law enforcement on the state and county levels had been made aware of the surveillance footage seven months ago and that they have been cooperating fully with authorities.
Major Joseph Tripodo, commanding officer of the New York State Police Troop F in Middletown, told VIN News previously on two separate occasions that he could not comment on the ongoing investigation.
State police officials seemed to have been caught off guard by today’s raids.
Trooper Steven Nevel, public information officer for the New York State Police at Middletown, said that the state police, both in Middletown and in Albany, had no knowledge of today’s activities and had been instructed to direct anyone who called about the raid to contact the FBI’s New York City office.
“We are not privy to anything that is going on right now,” Trooper Nevel told VIN News.
wow all on Israel independance day… very interesting… maybe they should start protesting themselves first.
So according to all the VIN commentators here who rushed to this abuser’s defens and claimed his actions in the video were innocent, do you consider kissing a boy on the mouth repeatedly “innocent?” Wake up and smell the coffee!
It is good that the police are investigating. If they find nothing, then the man’s name will be cleared; if they find something then he will be removed from being with children.
This is what should be done in suspected cases of child abuse: a full investigation without people hurling unsubstantiated opinions.
The irony is that these people have named themselves Chasidim. There is little going on that is righteous. Satmar leads the way in pushing and demanding all kinds of Chumros even while blatantly violating actual Halacha. And they do it dressed up as if THEY are the rabbis. In fact, they are a cult. No wonder the neighbor’s hate them, anyone who lived a normal life only to see their toe taken over by crazies would feel the same way. it is impossible to keep track of all the police raids going on because they are involved in so many crimes. And just yesterday, instead of turning in a child molester the leadership backs him in his wicked behavior. This is the opposite of Chasidus.
The video is very clear that his behavior is sexual in nature. Sick.
I hope the charade is over on the evil perpetuated by individuals and those covering it up in this community whether it be sexual abuse or financial abuse. Its a social media world and there is no more hiding a community’s dirty laundry, it will become visible to the outside world and apparently this is the only thing that will bring it to a halt. How sad and shameful.
According to the yeshiva, this rabbi is still with the little boys. Why do Vin posters not protest? ??? Aren’t any of you parents or grandparents? At least two boys were molested and all remain silent. I can only imagine what happens in locked rooms there! !!! These boys will go otd for sure. How would you like to have an old man stick his tongue down your throat and you are helpless and given candy to not tell your mom?
to all the people screaming for justice let me say this: the authorities in America are very biased, especially regarding sex crimes, i know of a guy who lives in boro park who was told by the cops he shouldn’t talk to girls there because “its harrasment”…what a joke, the gentiles can fool around all they want but the jews are not allowed to say hi to a girl in their own neighborhood… and in general if you follow those sex crimes stories you will see that in alot of these instances there was no evidence and the authorities chose the side of the girl and came down with very harsh sentences on the guy, this has nothing to do with justice and everything with hate, the haters disguise themselves in a mask as if they are looking out for justice, well its baloney, just something to keep in mind, imagine if you had a girl making up a story on you and there was no evidence to the contrary, there is a good chance the authorities will take her side and come down on you very harsh, while ruining you career, family life and social life, so chill out and pray it doesn’t happen to you, and yes it has happened and does happen to innocent people, enough said.
The worst part is that their rabbis saw the video and said, “Looks ok to us!” Imagine the horrors that take place in KJ on a daily basis. It literally scares me. Thank G d I stopped giving to their shnorrers.