NJ Rabbi Admits to Molesting Young Student

The Jewish Voice
May 22, 2013

http://jewishvoiceny.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4169:nj-rabbi-admits-to-molesting-young-student&catid=122:new-jersey&Itemid=326

After years of denying the allegations against him, a notorious Lakewood child molester has finally fessed up to his accused crimes.

Yeshiva teacher Yosef Kolko—- who is the nephew of notorious pedophile Rabbi Yehuda Kolko—- pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young boy during summer camp six years ago.

When a religious council of Orthodox Jews refused to take legal action against the man, the victim’s family turned to the Office of the Ocean County Prosecutor for justice.

As a result of seeking prosecution outside the confines of the Orthodox world, the victim’s entire family was ostracized by residents of their NJ community. Likewise, several community members took it a step further hoping on board a “terror campaign” to bully the family into dropping charges against the teacher by distributed flyers throughout the town which proclaimed the boy’s father had made a “mockery” of the Tanakh by committing the “terrible deed” of using a secular jurisdiction.

Kolko met the victim while working as a camp counselor at Yachad, a summer camp at the Yeshiva Bais Hatorah School on Swarthmore Avenue in Lakewood. He also taught at the local Orchos Chaim Yeshiva.

The suspect admitted in court to sexually abusing the boy between September 2007 and February 2009, during which the victims was 11 and 12-years-old. He also pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated sexual assault, attempted aggravated sex assault, sexual assault and child endangerment.

In the past, Kolko has acknowledged sexually abusing the child to social worker Gavriel Fagin, as he began therapy in Fagin’s Brooklyn office. But he abruptly quit his sessions shortly thereafter and denied any of his confessions took place.

“The rabbi betrayed the trust of the children and of the entire Jewish community. He had no business being a rabbi in a classroom or being around small children. He is a sick man and needs to be kept away from children,” Elky Braun, 40, of Lakewood New Jersey told a media source.

Despite two other victims recently stepping forward with more accusations against Kolko, the state’s legal team said they would not prosecute the other cases.

Meanwhile, Kolko’s bail has been revoked as he was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation before sentencing.

In a statement following the trial, attorney Michael Bachner said his client was, “extremely remorseful, apologizes to the victim and hopes after treatment to return to society as a benefit to it.”