The US Government has denied intervening in the case of an Israeli government official who was arrested in Las Vegas.
Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, the Head of Technolgical Defense Division at the Israel National Cyber Directorate, was arrested earlier this month. The cyber security expert was in Las Vegas for a conference when he allegedly chatted online with a decoy posing as a 15-year-old girl. Alexandrovich supposedly told the decoy that he wanted to take her to Cirque du Soleil and would bring a condom.
Once he reached the location he had agreed to meet the teen, Alexandrovich, 38, was arrested on a charge of luring a child with a computer for sex acts. He was a guest at Resorts World La Vegas during his stay in Las Vegas.
he told police he believed the person he was chatting to was 18 years old
In questioning, he told police he believed the person he was chatting to was 18 years old and that she “pushed” him into talking about bringing a condom.
According to court records, he posted $10,000 bail shortly after his arrest, meaning he was free to leave custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 27. However, given its strong multifaceted alliance with Israel, the US government felt it necessary to publicly deny any claims that it involved itself in Alexandrovich’s case.
In a post to its X account, the US State Department – Near Eastern Affairs stated the Israeli “did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date.” The government department added: “Any claims that the US government intervened are false.”
Alexandrovich was one of eight men arrested as part of the sting operation in Las Vegas, with the offenders also including a pastor called Neal Creecy. He is accused of meeting a boy he believed to be 14 years old.
