Judge in Sex Abuse Trial, Orders Detention of Men Taking Victim’s Photos

11/30/12

On Thursday, four men were detained for taking snapshots of a sex abuse victim inside the court and then sharing them on the internet, thus exposing the identity of the victim. The actions of the four men – identified as Lemon Juice, Abraham Zupnick, Joseph Fried and Yona Weisman – enraged Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Ingram. Ingram was presiding over a trial where a Hasidic counselor was accused by a teen of having demanded oral sex from her. The four men took snapshots of the victim while she was testifying and shared it on the internet.


Justice Ingram was visibly disturbed by the photo of the sex abuse victim taken by a mobile phone, clearly showing the photo was taken on Wednesday inside the Brooklyn courtroom. Justice Ingram was at a loss. He told the four ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, “This is on the Internet now … It's probably streamed all over the world.”

The judge told the men that they had violated the rule prohibiting photography inside courts. He said, “What you have done, apparently, is take the photos in the courtroom yesterday and today … You know about the law, you know about the Torah, you know about rabbinical courts – this is a civil court.”

The judge told the men clearly, “You might want to avail yourself of counsel … Never come into my courtroom ever again and bring a phone with you.”

In the instant case, Weberman, 54, a well-known Hasidic counsel and a figure of stern religious authority, is accused of molesting the female victim over a three-year period, since she attained the age of 12. The sex abuse victim was first sent to Weberman by her family when she expressed discomfort in wearing thick tights and clothing she considered too bland. Apparently, Weberman engaged in sex abuse while counseling the 12-year-old girl child in his office apartment.

Nine cell phones were confiscated after it was discovered that photos of the victim were being snapped inside the courtroom and spread across the Internet. Ingram told people attending the court, “This is not some sporting event where people can bring their phones to take photos … it's against the law.”

The four men who were detained may be charged with intimidation of witness and contempt of court.