ISRAEL
Times of Israel
The Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Thursday convicted a prominent rabbi after he admitted to two counts of indecent acts and one case of assault in a plea deal with the prosecution.
Under the terms of the deal, Rabbi Eliezer Berland, 79, who was extradited to Israel to face the charges after three years on the run, was cleared of two other charges of indecent acts. His sentencing hearing will be held next week.
However, Channel 2 reported that he is likely to serve 18 months of jail time, including time served since his arrest in the summer.
Considered a cult-like leader to thousands of his followers from the Bratslav Hasidic sect, Berland fled Israel in 2013 amid allegations that he molested two female followers, one of them a minor.
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