Australian Jewish youth leader arrested for child molestation

A former Chabad-Lubavitch youth leader was arrested in Melbourne for allegedly molesting a child.

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SYDNEY, Australia (JTA) – A former Chabad-Lubavitch youth leader was arrested in Melbourne for allegedly molesting a child.

Aron “Ezzy” Kestecher, 26, was charged with four counts of indecent acts on a child under 16. The indecent acts allegedly took place over the last five years.

Kestecher was released on bail and will appear in court Nov. 29, according to a report Wednesday in The Age newspaper.

His arrest comes one month after David Cyprys, a former security guard at Yeshivah College, also in Melbourne, was charged with multiple counts of indecent assault and gross indecency after he allegedly molested boys from the school between 1984 and 1991.

Kestecher is understood to have recently worked as a substitute teacher at Yeshivah College, according to The Age.

Victorian Police recently wrote to former students of the college asking them for assistance in their investigation into sexual abuse between 1989 and 1993.

College principal Rabbi Yehoshua Shmukler has written to parents ordering them to contact authorities about any suspected child molestation cases after claims surfaced in court that members of the Orthodox school community tried to cover up the claims of sexual abuse of minors.
 

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