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US denies role in release of Israeli official in soliciting minor case

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 15:35
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The US Department of State denied intervening in the release of "Israeli" cyber official Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, who was arrested in Nevada on charges of soliciting sex from a minor.

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The Harry S. Truman Building, headquarters for the State Department, is seen in Washington, March 9, 2009. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The United States has denied claims that it intervened to secure the release of an Israeli cyber official arrested in Nevada on charges of soliciting sex from a minor. The Department of State emphasized that the case was handled strictly by the state court system.

“The Department of State is aware that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, an Israeli citizen, was arrested in Las Vegas and given a court date for charges related to soliciting sex electronically from a minor,” the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs wrote on social media platform X.

“He did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the US government intervened are false,” the statement added.

The Department of State is aware that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, an Israeli citizen, was arrested in Las Vegas and given a court date for charges related to soliciting sex electronically from a minor. He did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a…
— U.S. State Dept - Near Eastern Affairs (@StateDept_NEA) August 18, 2025

Alexandrovich is listed on the Israeli government website as the head of the Technological Defense Division at the National Cyber Directorate, the agency responsible for overseeing civilian cyber defense.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, faces felony charges of using a computer to lure a child for a sex act. He was among several individuals detained during the operation conducted by the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department announced on Friday.

Netanyahu’s office disputes arrest reports

After his arrest, Alexandrovich was released from custody on a $10,000 bail following a court appearance and later returned to "Israel".

Alexandrovich was in the United States, reportedly attending the Black Hat Briefings, a high-profile cybersecurity conference held annually in Las Vegas. A now-deleted LinkedIn post under his name referred to his presence at the event earlier in August.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected reports that Alexandrovich had been arrested, claiming instead that he was only “questioned” before returning to "Israel" as scheduled.

The incident comes as Washington faces growing scrutiny over its close ties with "Israel", shielding it and its officials from any accountability over the genocidal war on Gaza, where more than 62,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023. The case adds further tension to an already controversial alliance between the US government and "Israel."