NEW YORK
Wall Street Journal
Associated Press
NEW YORK — A religious counselor accused of sexually abusing a girl under his guidance for three years testified in a Brooklyn court Wednesday, denying it ever happened.
Nechemya Weberman told a courtroom packed with his supporters that he “never, ever” inappropriately touched his accuser. He also said he never sexually abused anyone inside his office where he counseled patients.
Defense attorneys said she fabricated stories as an act of revenge. She revealed to Weberman that she had a boyfriend at age 15 — forbidden in her community — and believed he told her parents about it. Both Weberman and his accuser belong to an ultra-orthodox Jewish sect.
Weberman has pleaded not guilty to 88 charges of sexual abuse and misconduct.
The ongoing trial has rocked the insular, tight-knit group of ultra-orthodox Jews, not only because of the shocking charges, but also because the case is being played out in a public court and the guarded society strongly discourages going to outside authorities.
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