Guard charged with sexually assaulting Jewish school’s students

SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) — A Jewish man was charged with allegedly sexually assaulting children at a Jewish school in Australia where he worked as a security guard.

David Cyprys, a locksmith who runs a company called Shomer Security, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court Tuesday on 16 counts of indecent assault and 13 counts of gross indecency for alleged sexual assault of students at Yeshivah College from 1984 to 1991.

Cyprys, 43, who was contracted by the Orthodox boys’ school to work as a security guard, was given strict bail conditions: He must surrender his passport, stay at least 300 feet or more from a school and not contact any child under 16 — including his children and stepchildren — unless supervised by authorities. The magistrate also slapped a nearly $53,000 surety on his bail.

There were five alleged victims each in Victoria and New South Wales, and investigators are traveling to America to interview two more, the court heard. The alleged victims were aged 7 to 17 at the time of the incidents.

Manny Waks, one of the alleged victims who was a student at Yeshivah College 20 years ago, said in a statement that “I and the other victims remain determined to ensure justice prevails and that the perpetrator and his facilitators are held to full account. As victims we look forward to achieving closure and justice. After more than 20 years, this now seems attainable.”

It is believed that the reopening of a police investigation in June into former Jewish studies teacher David Kramer, who fled Australia to America in the early 1990s after allegations he had sexually abused boys, prompted alleged victims to report Cyprys to authorities.

Cyprys was asked recently to stand aside from the boards of Elwood Talmud Torah Congregation and the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Victoria pending the investigation.

The case was adjourned to Dec. 2.