State indicts soccer manager for series of alleged sex crimes

The indictment stated that Tzabari used gifts, free trips to Eilat and letting players drive his car as inducements.

By BEN HARTMAN, YONAH JEREMY BOB
Arrest of Ofer Tzabari (photo credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
Arrest of Ofer Tzabari
(photo credit: POLICE SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
The Tel Aviv District Attorney’s Office on Thursday filed an indictment with the Tel Aviv District Court against former manager of Hapoel Petah Tikva Ofer Tzabari for a series of suspected sex crimes involving minors.
At a Monday hearing, police said that Tzabari, charged with sexual assault, indecent acts, attacking a policeman, trying to escape custody and other crimes, is a dangerous man who “severely harmed” three youths aged 15.
The indictment stated that Tzabari used gifts, free trips to Eilat and letting players drive his car as inducements.
The officer presenting the state’s case in court on Monday, Ch.-Insp. Ronen Shimri, said that Tzabari was a dangerous man, period... [Not only] because he received sexual services from youths in exchange for money... but because he attacked police who were carrying out their duties and he fled and endangered the public.”
Tzabari was arrested November 27 after he hit a traffic policewoman, Noy Zeitoun, 19, with his car in Bat Yam in a hit and run. He fled the police after they found him partly naked in his parked car with a 17-year-old boy, engaging in what police described as “suspicious activity.”
As a result of this incident, police performed further checks into Tzabari’s past and tried to uncover other potential victims – leading to his subsequent arrest.
Police said in court Monday that no suspected victims came forward to file a complaint, rather they found all of them by searching Tzabari’s phone. In addition, all three alleged victims refused to take part in “confrontations” with Tzabari supervised by detectives.