An indictment was filed against Shomrim CEO Chaim Rotter in the Tel Aviv District Court on Sunday on suspicion of widespread acts of sexual assault, rape, and verbal and physical threats.
In an investigation that shocked Bnei Brak and the rest of the country, Rotter, 38, was named as the suspect earlier this month.
He was indicted for severe sexual assault acts against four complainants, including the orchestration of the rape of a boy who was 15 years old at the time.
Rotter served as the CEO of Shomrim, a Bnei Brak security patrol, for 15 years. According to the indictment, he used his position of power to assault his victims from 2009 until 2024.
Rotter would recruit volunteers for Shomrim to patrol Bnei Brak’s streets. He also had a long-standing close working relationship with the local police precincts.
A figure of power among the haredim
This made him a notable and known public figure of power and influence among the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) residents in Bnei Brak. It also enabled him to carry out the attacks and escape justice for so long.
After Rotter was arrested on July 2, his detainment was repeatedly extended as the investigation continued. On Sunday, the prosecution requested that he remain in detention.
The full indictment was not cleared for publication to protect the identities of the victims.
The police received a complaint accusing him of sexual assault on June 12, but Rotter had flown out of Israel one day earlier. He was arrested at Ben-Gurion Airport upon his return.
The case against Rotter consists of 15 different accusations. Most of them were not included in the indictment due to the statute of limitations, which for minors is 10 to 15 years from the attack, depending on the severity, Ynet reported.
One of the male victims provided testimony to the FBI, which was taken by the Israel Police about two weeks ago.
Soon after Rotter’s arrest, a special task force was created to manage the case.
When his name was cleared for publication, several victims came forward on social media and to the press with their stories and experiences. One of the victims said he had filed a complaint against Rotter about a decade ago, but it was closed by the police.