WASHINGTON (DC)
The Baltimore Sun
By Alison Knezevich
The Baltimore Sun
Prosecutors are recommending a 17-year prison sentence for a rabbi and former Towson University professor who admitted he secretly videotaped dozens of women at a Jewish ritual bath known as a mikvah.
Rabbi Barry Freundel is scheduled to be sentenced in D.C. Superior Court on May 15. In February, he pleaded guilty to 52 counts of voyeurism.
An attorney for Freundel could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
Each of the voyeurism counts carries a maximum penalty of up to a year of incarceration and a fine of up to $2,500.
In a sentencing memorandum filed Friday, prosecutors recommend four months of incarceration for each count — a total of 208 months — calling that “reasonable and just punishment for this severe conduct that falls on the extreme end of the voyeurism spectrum.”
In the court filings, prosecutors describe in detail how Freundel allegedly abused his power and exploited women’s trust in him, causing deep trauma when the women learned of his actions.
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