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ForgoTheConsequence

(5,080 posts)
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:07 PM Aug 16

Israeli government official arrested in Nevada in internet crimes against children sting

Source: The Guardian

An Israeli government cybersecurity official was reportedly arrested recently by Las Vegas police and other authorities in Nevada who were conducting an undercover investigation aimed at online users seeking to sexually prey on children.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, faces felony charges of luring a child with a computer for a sex act, alongside several other suspects who were apprehended during the two-week sting operation, the Las Vegas metropolitan police department said in a statement published on Friday. He has since evidently been released from custody and returned to Israel.

,,,

As first reported by the news site Mediaite, a publicly posted screenshot of Alexandrovich’s page on the LinkedIn professional networking platform described him as the executive director of the Israel Cyber Directorate, an Israeli government agency under the purview of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/16/nevada-arrest-israeli-official

20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Israeli government official arrested in Nevada in internet crimes against children sting (Original Post) ForgoTheConsequence Aug 16 OP
Here is how the story is being reported by non-British media Mosby Aug 16 #1
? Here's how it's being reported by American media muriel_volestrangler Aug 16 #2
Links Mosby Aug 16 #6
Why did Israeli news outlets focus on one person? ForgoTheConsequence Aug 16 #7
The Guardian article didn't even mention the other SEVEN suspects Mosby Aug 16 #8
The other people weren't high level government officials. ForgoTheConsequence Aug 16 #10
Sometimes the reports are like this: GreenWave Aug 16 #13
Probably because they are Israeli?! Behind the Aegis Aug 16 #9
You're trying way too hard, and it's honestly a little creepy/concerning. ForgoTheConsequence Aug 16 #11
That's not what is creepy. Behind the Aegis Aug 16 #15
Most people would be outraged over the predatory allegations. ForgoTheConsequence Aug 17 #20
Why do you even care? iemanja Aug 16 #19
Strange, isn't it. iemanja Aug 16 #17
Because he's a senior government cybersecurity official, and it's internet paedophilia muriel_volestrangler Aug 16 #12
Very telling, isn't it? Behind the Aegis Aug 16 #3
This message was self-deleted by its author ForgoTheConsequence Aug 16 #5
OK? ForgoTheConsequence Aug 16 #4
And of course DiverDave Aug 16 #14
Update Mosby Aug 16 #16
Does the fact there are multiple predators negate the fact that an Israel government official was apprehended? iemanja Aug 16 #18

Mosby

(19,033 posts)
1. Here is how the story is being reported by non-British media
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:23 PM
Aug 16
Eight arrested in Las Vegas valley sex predator sting operation

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Eight people are facing sexual predator charges after being busted in an uncover operation, police said.

Those arrested were David Wonnacott-Yahnke, 40; Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38; Jose Alberto Perez-Torres, 35; Aniket Brajeshkumar Sadani, 23; James Ramon Reddick, 23; Ramon Manuel Parra Valenzuela, 29; Neal Harrison Creecy, 46 and John Charles Duncan, 49.

All are facing felony charges of luring a child with a computer for a sex act and were booked into the Henderson Detention, except Duncan, who was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.

The undercover operation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, Homeland Security, Metro, Henderson, and North Las Vegas police agencies

Police encourage parents to discuss with their children the dangers of engaging with strangers online and to routinely monitor their activity on social media and other online applications.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/eight-arrested-in-las-vegas-valley-sex-predator-sting-operation/

muriel_volestrangler

(104,704 posts)
2. ? Here's how it's being reported by American media
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:36 PM
Aug 16
Israeli Official Arrested in Nevada Child Sex Operation Is Released and Back in Israel

A top cybersecurity official for the Israeli government was arrested in Nevada during an undercover operation targeting child sex predators.

Tom Alexandrovich was apprehended and faced felony charges of “Luring a Child with Computer for Sex Act,” according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which assisted in conducting the operation from nearby Henderson, Nevada.

“A multi-agency operation targeting child sex predators led to the arrest of eight individuals over the last two weeks,” the department said in a release published on Friday. The release lists the names of 38-year-old Tom Artiom Alexandrovich and seven others.
...
Netanyahu’s office issued a statement and denied that the employee in question was arrested at all.

https://www.mediaite.com/crime/israeli-official-arrested-in-nevada-child-sex-operation-is-released-and-back-in-israel/

Netanyahu is accusing the Las Vegas PD of lying - I think I trust the LVMPD more, somehow:

Eight Child Sex Predators Arrested During Undercover Operation
Or, for that matter, the Jerusalem Post:

Israeli Cyber Directorate employee arrested in US on suspicion of pedophilia

In a large-scale operation targeting suspects in the online sexual exploitation of minors, eight people were arrested, including Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, an employee of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, Las Vegas police said Friday.

All detainees are charged with attempting to entice minors online to commit sexual acts. The directorate confirmed the arrest and said the employee has gone on leave until the findings are clarified.

A senior official at the Cyber Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office was arrested on suspicion of links to pedophilia. A joint operation by Las Vegas police and the FBI over the past two weeks led to the arrest of eight suspects, including Alexandrovich, 38, from Israel. After questioning, Alexandrovich returned to Israel and was placed on leave from the directorate.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-864370

Why your focus on "non-British media" v. "British media"?

ForgoTheConsequence

(5,080 posts)
7. Why did Israeli news outlets focus on one person?
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:47 PM
Aug 16

Why are you so defensive over this foreign government official being arrested for sex crimes? I doubt you would feel the same if it were any other country.

Mosby

(19,033 posts)
8. The Guardian article didn't even mention the other SEVEN suspects
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:50 PM
Aug 16

They said "several other" people.

Is that reporting a newsworthy event or something else?

I'm going with something else.

ForgoTheConsequence

(5,080 posts)
10. The other people weren't high level government officials.
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:54 PM
Aug 16

When Trump is brought up with Epstein, is your first response always "yeah, but what about everyone else?"

GreenWave

(11,573 posts)
13. Sometimes the reports are like this:
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 04:37 PM
Aug 16

Blond stabbed in Central Park

followed by 15,000 die from floods in China, but no mention of their hair color.

Behind the Aegis

(55,656 posts)
9. Probably because they are Israeli?!
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:52 PM
Aug 16


Why did The Guardian focus on ONE person?

Imagine this:

Israeli government official CANADIAN DRAG QUEEN arrested in Nevada in internet crimes against children sting [View all]
Source: RAMDOM RIGHT WING SOURCE

An Israeli government cybersecurity official A CANADIAN DRAG QUEEN was reportedly arrested recently by Las Vegas police and other authorities in Nevada who were conducting an undercover investigation aimed at online users seeking to sexually prey on children.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, faces felony charges of luring a child with a computer for a sex act, alongside several other suspects NOT NAMED IN THIS REPORT who were apprehended during the two-week sting operation, the Las Vegas metropolitan police department said in a statement published on Friday. He has since evidently been released from custody and returned to Israel CANADA.

,,,

As first reported by the news site Mediaite, a publicly posted screenshot of Alexandrovich’s page on the LinkedIn professional networking platform described him as the executive director of the Israel Cyber Directorate, an Israeli government agency CANADIAN FRIENDS OF AMERICA LEAGUE under the purview of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s MARK CARNEY'S office.


Behind the Aegis

(55,656 posts)
15. That's not what is creepy.
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 05:13 PM
Aug 16

I am not "trying too hard", I am simply pointing out an overt propagandistic bias.

ForgoTheConsequence

(5,080 posts)
20. Most people would be outraged over the predatory allegations.
Sun Aug 17, 2025, 08:11 AM
Aug 17

Your outrage is reserved for the fact that the media dared to report that he is a high-level official from a foreign government. Very bizarre behavior.

muriel_volestrangler

(104,704 posts)
12. Because he's a senior government cybersecurity official, and it's internet paedophilia
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 03:17 PM
Aug 16

The arrest of a government official for offences in the area he's meant to be keeping people safe from is news. Obviously.

So, to get back to my question: why the "non-British"/"British" focus?

Response to Behind the Aegis (Reply #3)

ForgoTheConsequence

(5,080 posts)
4. OK?
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 02:39 PM
Aug 16

Were any of those other people high-level foreign government officials who were allowed to return to their home countries? Nothing you posted contradicts what The Guardian reported on.

Here are some Israeli outlets:

Senior Israeli cyber official detained in Las Vegas as part of child solicitation probe
https://www.timesofisrael.com/senior-israeli-cyber-official-detained-in-las-vegas-as-part-of-child-solicitation-probe/

Israeli Cyber Directorate employee arrested in US on suspicion of pedophilia
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-864370


Is that more balanced?

Mosby

(19,033 posts)
16. Update
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 07:31 PM
Aug 16

From local media:

Las Vegas pastor arrested in child predator sting operation

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Eight accused child sex offenders, including a pastor, are now off Las Vegas streets after a major undercover operation.

One of the men is 46-year-old Neal Harrison Creecy, a pastor at Redemption Church. Investigators said Creecy allegedly used a computer to try and lure children for sexual misconduct, which is a felony charge.

“As soon as he got out of jail within an hour or two, he contacted us on a thread message and confessed. He offered his resignation when we met with him later that morning. We had to accept his resignation immediately,” Seaborg said.

https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/las-vegas-pastor-arrested-in-child-predator-sting-operation/


It doesn't appear that the Guardian has updated their story to include this new information.

iemanja

(56,700 posts)
18. Does the fact there are multiple predators negate the fact that an Israel government official was apprehended?
Sat Aug 16, 2025, 08:24 PM
Aug 16

and why should you even care so much? He's a pedophile. Most people hear that and think the person should be imprisoned. They don't try to deflect from the story. My mother's side of the family is Catholic. If I took it personally every time a priest was caught molesting children, I'd have serious problems. Bad people don't deserve anyone's protection.

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