Arab Man Guilty of Rape After Telling Fling He Was Jewish

Moshe Katsav is the highest-ranking Israeli official ever sent to jail

(AP) - An Israeli court today ordered former Israeli President Moshe Katsav to prison for seven years following a rape conviction, rejecting his attorneys' request for leniency and making him the highest-ranking Israeli official ever sent to jail. The silver-haired Katsav remained stoic throughout most of the reading, but he broke down in tears upon hearing his sentence and screamed at the judges: "You made a mistake! It is a lie! The girls know it is a lie!" As he exited the courtroom, two of his grown sons scuffled with security guards. "I saw you! You hurt my boy!" Katsav screamed. More»

Moshe Katsav faces between 4 and 16 years in prison

(NEWSER) - Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav likely faces four to 16 years in prison after being convicted of raping an employee in 1998 when he was a Cabinet minister, reports the AP . Katsav was president of Israel from 2000 to 2007, but resigned two weeks before his term expired under a plea bargain that would have required him to admit to lesser charges of sexual misconduct. But in a dramatic reversal in April 2009, Katsav rejected the deal, which would have kept him out of jail, and vowed to clear his name in court. More»

Goel Ratzon allegedly had 21 women, 49 children in cultlike atmosphere

(AP) - A 60-year-old Israeli man who kept a harem of at least 21 women who bore him 49 children has been charged with enslavement, rape, incest, and other sexual offenses. Goel Ratzon was arrested last month but wasn't charged formally until today. Ratzon, who remains behind bars, denies wrongdoing. The 25-page indictment accuses him of setting himself up as a "godlike" figure who preyed on troubled women while treating them like "chattel." More»

(NEWSER) - Israel's top lawman will charge ex-President Moshe Katsav with raping and sexually harassing his former employees, the BBC reports. In the latest development of a nearly 3-year legal drama, Israeli officials said that "the complainants' testimony was reliable and that there is sufficient evidence for an indictment." Katsav had agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges in 2007, but changed his mind last year. More»

Brian Banks served five years in prison

(NEWSER) - A 26-year-old man has been exonerated of rape charges, with a big assist from Facebook. Brian Banks, who spent five years in prison on the charges, was, needless to say, surprised when the woman who claimed he raped her in 2002 added him as a friend on Facebook. He got her to meet with him and a private investigator, where she eventually admitted—while secretly being recorded—that Banks was innocent, the Los Angeles Times reports. Banks' attorneys say she felt guilty and wanted to "make amends." More»