Netanyahu’s cyber official arrested in Las Vegas child sex sting, later freed

A senior Israeli cyber official working under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has returned to Israel after being arrested in a child sex sting in Nevada, United States (US), and later released without charges.

Police in Henderson, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area, confirmed that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, a 38-year-old, was among eight men caught in a multi-agency undercover operation aimed at predators seeking to exploit children online. The sting involved the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Nevada Attorney General’s office, and local police.

The other men arrested were:

David Wonnacott-Yahnke, 40
Jose Alberto Perez-Torres, 35
Aniket Brajeshkumar Sadani, 23
James Ramon Reddick, 23
Ramon Manuel Parra Valenzuela, 29
Neal Harrison Creecy, 46
John Charles Duncan, 49

Court records show all suspects were charged with luring a child with a computer for sex — a felony in Nevada punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“We would like to remind parents to discuss with their children the dangers of engaging with strangers online. Parents are encouraged to routinely monitor their children’s activity on social media and other online applications to prevent them from becoming victims of a child sex predator,” the Las Vegas police statement said.

The police called on anyone with additional information, or anyone harmed by any of the suspects, to contact the US Internet Crimes Against Children unit or report anonymously to the sexual assault victim hotline.

While the others remain in custody, Alexandrovich was released and has since returned to Israel, where he has taken leave from his government role.

He serves in Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, which reports directly to Netanyahu’s office, and has been linked to the “Cyber Dome” project — an AI-driven defence system designed to protect the country’s digital infrastructure. His role gave him access to sensitive intelligence, including information shared with Washington.

Israeli officials have sought to downplay the incident. The Prime Minister’s Office said he was “questioned by American officials,” while the National Cyber Directorate described the matter as “personal and unrelated to his professional responsibilities.”