UPDATED::Rabbi arrested in Santa Monica on sexual abuse charges | Los Angeles | Jewish Journal

UPDATE:  Santa Monica Rabbi Arrested For Child Sexual Abuse

“Judaism teaches us not to celebrate at another’s downfall so we are certainly not celebrating. That being said, for those who understand the long term negative impact victims of sexual abuse endure, securing justice goes a long way in the healing process. As a child she was less powerful than her abuser and those who could have intervened, did not. Today, as an adult, she has regained her power and brought justice to herself. This is a powerful message to all survivors as well as a warning to offenders and would-be-offenders that their victims may not always be weaker than them.

There is still a long road ahead in this case and a lot of work must still be done until justice is served. JCW will stand in steadfast support of the victims of SBL and those we are fortunate enough to assist.”

The Santa Monica PD has urged anyone with additional information about Levitansky or his victims to contact Detective Roy Brown at 310-458-8960, Sgt. William Heric at 310-458-8453, or the Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.

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A 39-year-old rabbi was arrested and booked last week in Santa Monica on felony charges of sexual abuse of a child. Rabbi Sholom Doyber Levitansky, a Sherman Oaks resident, turned himself in to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) on Sept. 30, police said. He’s currently out of jail on $370,000 bail.

Levitansky met his victims while working at the Living Torah Center on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, according to a statement from Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks. The allegations against Levitansky took place from 1998 and 2002, when the two abuse victims were 15 and 16 years old and the rabbi was in his mid-20s.

The Living Torah Center/Chabad has been operating since 1992 and offers a variety of religious and educational services, including preschool and women’s Torah study, according to its website. The instances of alleged sexual abuse were reported in July of this year, and it took about three months to follow up on the information and file a case, SMPD Sgt. Rudy Camarena wrote in an email to the Journal.

Rabbi arrested in Santa Monica on sexual abuse charges | Los Angeles | Jewish Journal