Asbury Park Press A former Lakewood Yeshiva teacher today admitted sexually abusing a
boy, after authorities said two more victims of his came forward to
them as his trial was underway.Sheriff's
officers placed Yosef Kolko in handcuffs and led him to the Ocean County
Jail after he pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, attempted
aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault and child endangerment, and
state Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson revoked his $125,000 bail. [...]
Kolko’s trial on the charges involving that one boy got underway last week, but Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Laura Pierro told the judge that the defendant decided to plead guilty after learning that two more victims had come forward to authorities.
Pierro said she was contacted late Friday afternoon by a young woman who claimed she was victimized by Kolko, and the attorney for a young man who also claimed to be a victim.
Pierro said she met with the additional victims this morning and would have sought to admit their testimony, had the trial proceeded.
In exchange for Kolko’s guilty plea, the state would not proceed with additional charges related to the additional victims, but no other promises were made to him, Pierro said.
Kolko’s trial on the charges involving that one boy got underway last week, but Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Laura Pierro told the judge that the defendant decided to plead guilty after learning that two more victims had come forward to authorities.
Pierro said she was contacted late Friday afternoon by a young woman who claimed she was victimized by Kolko, and the attorney for a young man who also claimed to be a victim.
Pierro said she met with the additional victims this morning and would have sought to admit their testimony, had the trial proceeded.
In exchange for Kolko’s guilty plea, the state would not proceed with additional charges related to the additional victims, but no other promises were made to him, Pierro said.
We need to bear in mind that this man put the unfortunate boy he picked out as his victim not just through hideous emotional betrayal and sexual abuse, but had his attorney put the boy through hell on the witness stand, claiming he was a liar. Plus his brother sat in court trying to photograph witnesses and Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg. the anti-abuse campaigner.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course he stood by knowing that the boy's family were being ostracised and campaigned about so viciously in Lakewood that they had to move elsewhere.
The only reason he changed his plea is because of the other victims coming forward, no doubt at immense further cost to themselves and their families.
The Lakewood community needs to acknowledge and atone for the terrible wrongs and damage they have done.
You sound like a real creep (although not quite as bad as a molester)
DeleteI lived in Lakewood for over 20 years and consider myself a part of this large "community." What on G-d's earth do I or any of my fellow community members have to do with some perverted older unmarried bachelor or his few friends that happen to live in my city!??
Would you make the same ridiculous demand on the Tel Aviv or Los Angeles communities if such an episode were to occur over there??
If you have any scruples you would immediately acknowledge and atone for the terrible wrong you have just perpetrated against a whole community.
And if you can't bring yourself to admit and atone for this sin.. you won't be the first either. Unfortunately, the Jewish nation has consistently suffered from those creeps that generalize and stereotype other communities.
Let's see if you're any different..
Dear Lakewooder,
DeleteDo you continue to consider Rabbi Belsky a senior honorary Rav in Lakewood?
Did you protest to the way the community treated the victim and his family?
Lehavdil, we hold the entire German population responsible for what happened in the Holocaust, especially if they knew what was going on.
(chas Ve'saholom, no way am I comparing Lakewood to Germany, G-d forbid. But, the concept that others who witness atrocities happening in their midst and don't do whatever they can to stop it should be held responsible on some level, that holds true in both cases.)
The power of public opinion is huge. Much of the power authority yields, specifically Rabbinic authority, is their ability to influence public opinion, (by claiming something is or isn't Daas Torah.)
Thus, while I do believe Lakewood is an עור ואם בישראל, unfortunately in this case it seems like their leaders misled public opinion, and teshuvah is definitely required here to erase the damage that was done.
sorry........ but I think this should be quite clear to all.
By referring to this monster as "perverted older unmarried bachelor" you are giving a bad name to older unmarried bachelors, and even to perverts (there are many perverts in the world who do not harm children and many who don't even act on anything regarding adults). (Even calling him a dog would be unfair to dogs). His heinous crimes should not be blamed on these stupid nonrelevant factors.
DeleteJust because his older bachelorhood is less common in your community, or a source of ostracism even, does not make this person any less a component of your community - as much as anyone would want to disown him. And your community leaders did protect him.
Perhaps I should have more accurately stated "the rabbinical leadership of Lakewood and the Lakewood community supporters who campaigned in support of Kolko and raised finance for his trial defence". However, this appears to be an extraordinary range of communal leaders, not just Rabbi Belsky, who proclaimed Kolko to be completely innocent and condemned the father of the victim for reporting Kolko to the police. See the "documents" section here:
Deletehttp://survivorsforjustice.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=809&Itemid=193
I guess he now could thank all those who were Roidef the victim & family,to save him.
ReplyDeleteHe should thank them for the great advice they gave him not to listen to Beisdin, he should thank them for all the support & pidyoin shevyim (?) They collected from poor families mouths to hire him the best attorneys. He should thank them for helping dragging out his case for 6 years, & he should thank them for telling him not to plead guilty right in the begining, & not even at the end, until his attorney realized there was no hope.
Had he listened to Beis Din he would have never seen the court (at least not on this particular case). Had he made that guilty plea 6 years ago, he could have saved alot of public money, & would probably be out on probation by now. He may have been able to find a shidduch even, a girl with a similar history, (although I couldn't tell you weather it would be a good idea).
Instead the egomaniac so called askonim, the protectors of molesters the roidfim of victims & their families, gave him some good advice.{maybe he will be away from kids a little longer]
WE will collect money for you, just sweat it out 6 years in limbo, go to the judge & prove your innoscence.
My bet is once he heard the boy on the stand he knew he was fryed, because he knew the truth.
Now he will sit who knows how long? After that he will be 16 years after when he could have pleded guilty maybe 21 years later. His shidduch prospects dwindeling, & the possibility of fathering kids ( I doubt he has already done that) diminishing.Yes I do feel bad for him too, he is not well, & probably feels no reason to remain alive, after all what does he have to live for besides guilt?
What have those askonim done for him? Sent him to jail 6 years later, for more years than he would have gone. Gone collecting for him & defamed him.
As for the victims, my gutt tells me they will still call them the mosrim, blame them for his jail time,(never accept that they aided & abaited his dragging out & now longer sentance) never ask mechilah, never help them financialy, And still claim their rghteousness.
If Ariel Castro & his victims were chareidim, they would blame the girls for lack of tznius, & collect Pidyoin shevuyim for him.
OOOPs! The girls were the shevuyim!
Sorry I am sad I don't like to see a Yiddishe brother in jail, but unfortunatly we have no other way to protect children.He is there to keep him out of harms way.
Now I hope the healing begins, and yes I hope those who disclosed the victims name & roidefed the father in public & private, beg mechilah.
So much more to write but it is to pianful.
It is better that he not father any children ever because if he did he would probably abuse them. This evil rodef should stay in jail for life.
DeleteThis whole story is sickening.
A kehilla like Lakewood that is concerned about Tzinuus, Kashrut, Chinuch, Parnassah and that everyone is tooting the same horn has to be vigilant in securing the safety of its children.
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth was this guy still working in camps and yeshivos in the area? Where were the rabbis? Of course, it was their responsibility since all crap stops by their door!!!