(José Niño, Headline USA) After his arrest in a sweeping Las Vegas child sex sting, Israeli cyber chief Tom Artiom Alexandrovich boarded a flight home before his first court hearing, raising sharp questions about Israeli influence in the United States’ criminal justice system.
Alexandrovich, who serves as Executive Director of the Cyber Defense Division at Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, was arrested last week during a multi-agency sting operation targeting online predators but was released on $10,000 bail and allowed to return to Israel before his hearing.
The U.S. State Department issued an unusual public denial on Monday, stating that “any claims that the U.S. government intervened are false” after allegations surfaced that diplomatic pressure facilitated Alexandrovich’s release.
The department emphasized that he “did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date,” responding to speculation that his status as a foreign government official influenced his treatment by authorities.
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
Central to the controversy is the decision by acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada Sigal Chattah to decline federal prosecution of the case. In a press statement, Chatthah’s office announced her decision to leave prosecution to Nevada state authorities despite the involvement of federal agencies including the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations in the original sting operation.
Chattah was born in Israel and has been active in Jewish organizations. According to a report by The Times of Israel, she has been a member of the Israeli American Council, chaired the Israeli American Civic Action Network, and served on the board of Or BaMidbar, a Sephardic synagogue in Las Vegas known for its pro-Israel orientation.
The circumstances surrounding Alexandrovich’s release have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and advocacy groups. Unlike other suspects arrested in the same operation, Alexandrovich was released before his probable cause hearing and apparently faced no special conditions such as passport seizure.
Law enforcement sources claim that he was “shocked” by the arrest and inquired about his “international flight back to Israel,” yet authorities allowed him to leave the country two days after posting bail.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., addressed the case on social media, proclaimed that “Pedophiles should not be released, they should face justice. No matter what country they come from.”
Pedophiles should not be released, they should face justice.
No matter what country they come from. https://t.co/0qAzxjwxkE— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 16, 2025
Israeli officials initially denied that any arrest had occurred, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office claiming that a government employee had merely been “questioned by American authorities during his stay” and “returned to Israel as scheduled.”
The Israeli National Cyber Directorate later acknowledged this statement was incorrect and confirmed that Alexandrovich had been placed on administrative leave “by mutual decision”, per a report by Israeli news outlet Ynet.
Israeli news outlets like Haaretz have noted that Israel has historically served as a destination for fugitive sex offenders seeking to avoid U.S. prosecution, raising concerns about whether Alexandrovich will actually appear for his scheduled hearing next Wednesday.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
