By Ben Hartman
Jerusalem Post
August 8 2010
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=184091
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Elon's lawyer: "The Rabbi will continue to fight for his good name."
Police finished their investigation into Rabbi Mordechai "Motti" Elon Sunday, who was accused of child molestation several months ago, and found that there was sufficient evidence to connect him to the allegations.
Elon's attorney Yair Golan rejected the accusations, saying "a complete review will clarify that Rabbi Elon did not commit any crime, and ultimately will not be indicted. The Rabbi will continue to fight for the truth and his good name."
The police submitted the case file to the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's office, and a hearing is expected before any indictment would be issued.
Evidence was found alleging Elon committed indecent acts with two minors, one of them by force.
Police had recently reopened the investigations after a former student of the charismatic rabbi accused him of sexual abuse.
An investigation had been opened against Elon about six months ago, but officers could not determine whether he had consensual relations with adult students or had committed a criminal act, Channel 10 reported.
The allegations first came to light in February after Takana, a rabbinical forum that investigates sexual abuse in the religious community, posted a message on its Web site demanding that Elon step down from all rabbinical, teaching and community responsibilities, and warned that he was a threat to the public.
Takana also posted a statement that Elon had been accused of having sexual relations with male students in the past.
Also in February, Takana member Rabbi Yuval Cherlow told Army Radio that Elon had admitted to the acts during an emergency meeting, adding that the rabbi’s confession had been documented in the forum’s protocol.
Cherlow said that since the accusations against Elon had been made public, 10 additional former students filed complaints against him to the forum.
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