Brooklyn, NY – An orthodox Jew extradited from Israel to face charges of sodomizing two teenage boys in his Brooklyn home was ordered held Tuesday on $10 million bail.
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Stefan Colmer, 31, allegedly went on the lam last February after he learned he was under investigation for molesting the 13-year-old victims whom he had befriended and invited to his Midwood home to play board games, prosecutor Elizabeth Doerfler said.
Colmer pleaded not guilty to the indictment that could put him in prison for 56 years if he’s convicted on all eight counts.
He is the first defendant returned to the U.S. from Israel under a new treaty that defines sodomy as an extraditable offense.
Defense attorney David Epstein said Colmer fled to Israel after receiving threatening e-mails and letters linked to rumors in the community about the alleged attacks.
Colmer’s wife and two children remained in Brooklyn while he was on the move throughout Israel using a fake name until authorities arrested him in June.
Colmer, a computer technician and freelance photographer, asked to be placed in protective custody at Rikers Island. [nydailynews]
Anonymous said…
According to Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach ZTL we must asume he did teshuva. The same opinion is reportedly coming from Rav Rosenblum of Shaar Yosher.
Wonder if this halachic aproach will ultimately encourage molesters.
January 10, 2008 12:56 AM
SO? How does his doing teshuva mitigate our responsibilty to our kids to keep someone with a history of pedopphilia locked up where he can’t hurt them?
If you really want to sound frum about this – we have a hischaivus to him to be mafrish him from being choiteh again.
According to Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach ZTL we must asume he did teshuva. The same opinion is reportedly coming from Rav Rosenblum of Shaar Yosher.
Wonder if this halachic aproach will ultimately encourage molesters.
And here we go again. Why the heck are we protecting child molestors?
Maybe he should visit your family if you like him so much.
The man is not guilty because it’s posted on what is happening but they don’t say these things about you when your playing board games!
The indictment charges that between March and May 2006, Colmer sodomized two teenage boys on numerous occasions, after luring them to his home from a nearby yeshiva high school, according to the US extradition request.
Who said the mans guilty ive seen him maybe he did maybe he diddnt innocent untill proven guilty
I stronglr believe in innocent until proven guilty, yes he shoul dbe in protective custody till proven. After conviction let them do what they see fit.
Horrifying!! And he is asking to be placed in protective custody? Did he worry about the protection of his victims? Let the animals is Riker’s Island take care of him, so he cannot victimize anyone again.
Stefan Colmer, a 31-year-old lifelong Brooklyn resident, was arraigned Tuesday on 35 counts of sex crimes, stemming from charges that he sodomized two 13-year-old boys in his Midwood home in 2006.
His defense attorneys argued Tuesday at his arraignment and bail application that Colmer did not move to Israel to escape law enforcement agencies, but rather had moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey and ultimately to Israel in order to escape the death threats that followed him.
Colmer fled after he realized he was under police investigation for the sodomy of the two teenage boys. Sodomy in this case refers to Colmer allegedly performing oral sex on the boys on numerous occasions between January and March 2006.
He is charged with eight counts of Criminal Sexual Acts in the Second Degree, eight counts of Sexual Misconduct, 19 counts of Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.