A driver for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was arrested and accused of serially raping girls between the ages of 8 and 12 — and he admits some of the allegations are true, his attorney said.
Ilan Shmuel, 52, is facing 12 complaints related to the sexual offenses, police in Israel said, Ynet News reported. Police also specified at least some of those girls are members of his own family, and that he’s accused of raping them over a span of several years.
Authorities initially placed a gag order on the suspect’s name, but reversed that decision Thursday after police said the release of his name could actually encourage other victims to come forward, Ynet News reported.
Mr. Shmuel’s attorney, Shai Levy, said his client is waiting for all the evidence to emerge.
“The serious allegations are being investigated by police as we speak,” Mr. Levy said, adding that his client “denies the majority of the offenses, admits to some of the allegations and regrets them.”
The prime minister’s office said it was informed of the investigation in March and was advised to place Mr. Shmuel on leave, Ynet News reported. He hasn’t been a part of Mr. Netanyahu’s motorcade for the past six months.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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