Rabbi Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Teen

Rabbi Baruch Lebovits, courtesy FailedMessiah

The Borough Park rabbi/travel agent accused in hundreds of incidents of sexual abuse was convicted yesterday of molesting a 16-year-old student. Baruch Lebovits could be sentenced to 32 years in jail, after being found guilty on eight counts. "I understand that there are a significant number of Jewish holidays coming up,” said the judge. “And I am sorry." The young victim testified that in 2004 Lebovits offered to let him drive his car, then unzipped his fly and performed oral sex on him. Among the rabbi’s other alleged victims is a young Hasidic man who committed suicide on his honeymoon, by jumping from the seventh story of a hotel.

Last week the victim—who’s since left the ultra-Orthodox community—said that after being abused by Rabbi Lebovits, he’s fallen prey to heroin and other substances. The defense attacked him as an unreliable addict, and insists he was trying to blackmail the powerful community leader. "We’re extremely disappointed," said lawyer Arthur Aidala of the guilty verdict. "We were hoping that the jury was going to see things differently...Mr. Lebovits still maintains his innocence." Friends and relatives gasped at the ruling, but at least one person was pleased. "Thank God, justice was served," said the father of the abused boy, according to the Daily News.

Lebovits was acquitted on two other counts, reports the Post, but still faces charges in two more molestation cases, that could earn him another eight years behind bars.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Sabrina Jaszi in News on March 9, 2010 10:20 AM

Comments [rss]

LB

Well hopefully he gets sent to regular jail and not Jew Jail ! You know, Home in there apartments with all those damn bars on every fuckin window ! Lol Seriously Every window in a jew building has bars on the windows up to the top floor !

benny

why does everybody so easily believe everything they read. ya, sure people do bad things and there are some sick f**ks out there. but reading all these comments, its ridiculous.

Ph

The guy diddled little kids, whats so fucking ridiculous?

I'm actually surprised this guy didn't get on a midnight plane to Israel before the authorities caught up with him.

laisla

This.

l3iodeez

Ultra-orthodox religious types and child abuse seem to go hand in hand wherever you look.

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Moonies, Mormons, Scientologists, its all the same. Every religious group

Religion IS child abuse as far as I'm concerned.

Please don't lie to your kids. Ever.

Tricksta

Riiiiiiiight. Because no other religion has ever had a problem with pedophilia.

p.s. A simple Google search could tell you David Letterman is not Jewish, you loser.

Gilbert

Letterman did not have sex with underage girls, at least not that we know yet.

Gotham Extremist

Correct, Letter is not even being close to Gold or Silver or Green.

newport27

roman polansky, neil goldschmidt, david letterman, eliot spitzer, etc. etc. it's no news that jews have noted, unique traits of sexual perversion and obscenity. It's clear when I look at SOME (not all, but many) of my jewish male friends.. some of the most sexually perverted and obscene people I've known. I do wonder if their religion or culture has had any influence on this - perhaps the general lack of respect they have for non-jews plays a part in how they deal with women sexual partners as well. I'm no prude and I love women but I consider myself to have more "normal" sexual tendencies; theirs was on a different level. In fact, several of them began showing signs of perhaps mild pedophilia when we were in college (age 21-22), when they would brag about how "hot" or "bangable" certain 15, 16 yr old high school girls that they picked up somewhere (at the mall or on the streets mostly) were, and even had sex with several of them, while I cringed at the thought; girls that young were just too innocent to be seen as sexual subjects. God knows how many vulnerable girls must've lost their virginity to these kind of scum, that seem to be popping up on the news every other day.

gtraindelay

I don't think David Letterman is even Jewish...

GREGORYABUTLER

Antisemitism - ur doin it right!

l3iodeez

Woah. Hitting the crazy sauce a little heavy this morning, huh?

evbo

Wow. You've really figured it all out, haven't you.

NannyState

He just wanted to rebbe one out.

blink

Here's hoping his cell mate is a skinhead.

BettyDavis

While on his honeymoon ?

BettyDavis

One of these "victims" committed suicide because a rabbi gave him a blow job ?

laisla

Sexual assault can have devastating consequences.

Gwinny

That guy looks like the dude who tried to kiss me on the W. 4th Street subway platform on Memorial Day about 2 years ago.

However, I'm female, and it seems he is more into boys, so it probably isn't actually him.