Israel's Lahav 433 national crime unit arrested four family members from central Israel on Friday in the expanding probe of a pedophile ring, with a 70-year-old grandfather suspected of filming and sexually assaulting his grandson while the mother allegedly stood by, according to a source familiar with the case. The arrests broaden an investigation that has so far drawn in around 20 suspects, with two serious indictments already filed.
The Lahav 433 national crime unit has arrested four new suspects in the ongoing investigation of a pedophile ring, according to a source familiar with the case. The arrests, made on Friday, involve members of a single family from central Israel — including a 70-year-old grandfather suspected of filming his grandson on a mobile phone in intimate situations and committing an indecent act against him, while the child's mother allegedly failed to intervene. The grandfather is also suspected of distributing the video to others.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the investigation — code-named the "pedophile parents ring" case — has been running for months, with around 20 suspects questioned and two serious indictments already filed. Earlier this week, the probe expanded after investigators uncovered evidence of an assault on a minor, leading to additional arrests on Tuesday. The latest round on Friday brought in four family members, including the mother and grandfather, on suspicion of indecent acts by a guardian, abuse of a helpless person, and producing and distributing obscene material.
On Friday, the suspects were brought to the Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court for a remand hearing. One suspect was released, a female suspect's remand was extended by four days, and two other female suspects were released to house arrest. Police have filed a request to stay the release and will appeal to the Central-Lod District Court on Sunday seeking to keep them in custody. The investigation continues, with police examining suspicions of trafficking and sale of child abuse material.
The Background context items in the archive — while related to the broader pedophile ring probe — refer to a different, sports-related branch of the investigation and are not directly linked to this specific family arrest.
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