Former Israeli officer convicted of dozens of sex offenses

A former senior Israeli army officer was convicted by a military court of dozens of sex offenses and invasion of privacy. The charges against Lt. Col. Dan Sharoni included filming his female subordinates while nude without their knowledge.

According to the Times of Israel, Sharoni, who was arrested in 2021, had been collecting sexual images of soldiers and some civilians for at least eight years. He was dismissed from duty the same year.

The military court found Sharoni guilty of 67 offenses: 23 counts of indecency, 39 counts of privacy violation, three counts of illegal computer hacking, one count of attempted indecency, and one count of conduct unbecoming a soldier.

The attempted indecency charge involved installing a hidden camera in someone’s room but only photographing them fully clothed.

The Times of Israel quoted the Israeli army statement saying that the court “fully accepted the testimonies of the victims of the crime and rejected the defendant’s version that he acted out of a non-sexual motive.”

According to the indictment from December 2021, Sharoni used numerous hidden cameras, including some placed inside phone chargers, to film soldiers under his command.

He often installed these cameras in barracks and showers. Additionally, he was accused of taking soldiers’ phones under pretenses to search for nude or intimate photos, which he then copied to his own device.

The indictment listed 49 victims, both female and male, though there may have been more. Most victims were soldiers, but Sharoni also installed cameras in homes, including his own, capturing civilians.

He was also accused of entering some victims’ rooms while they slept and masturbating while filming them.

Sharoni committed these crimes from 2013 to 2021 while serving in three different military units. Many of the victims were soldiers and officers with whom Sharoni had close, friendly relationships—Times of Israel added.

In 2022, amid the trial, a plea deal was proposed but later rejected following opposition from many victims.

The plea deal would have had Sharoni confess to the charges, be sentenced to several years in prison, demoted to the rank of private, and pay compensation totaling NIS 250,000 ($72,000) to the 49 victims.

However, the deal was contentious due to the potential benefits of a significant military pension despite Sharoni being too young.