The former head of a prominent Orthodox Jewish neighborhood watch group in New York has pleaded guilty to transporting a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.
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Jacob Daskal, founder and former head of the Boro Park “Shomrim” organization, pleaded guilty to the charges against him on Friday in federal court in Brooklyn. The 64-year-old defendant admitted to transporting a 15-year-old girl across state lines with the intent of engaging in criminal sexual activity.
As part of his plea agreement, Daskal agreed to a sentence ranging from 14 to 17 ½ years' in prison. In addition, he will be required to register as a sex offender. The precise details of his sentence will be determined in a future hearing.
According to court filings, Daskal held a top position of authority as head of the Boro Park Shomrim Society, a private Orthodox Jewish crime patrol group associated with the New York Police Department. In spring 2017, Daskal took advantage of his position and connected with a vulnerable 15-year-old girl, whom he invited into his home and groomed for sexual exploitation. From August to November 2017, the defendant, then 58, subjected the victim to sexual acts.
The sexual abuse primarily took place at Daskal's residences in Brooklyn and upstate New York, where he assaulted her at his vacation home and at a campground. Near the end of August, Daskal, accompanied by his family and the victim, returned to his house in Brooklyn, where the abuse continued. Later, in October 2017, he assisted the victim in finding a new school in Chicago, Illinois, and she moved there to live with another family. However, even during her time in Chicago, Daskal maintained communication with the victim through text messages and Skype video chats. On November 5, 2017, Daskal traveled to Chicago and brought the victim to a hotel room, where he engaged in sexual intercourse and oral sex with her before returning to New York.
Throughout the abusive relationship, Daskal instructed the victim to delete their communications and warned her not to disclose their sexual encounters to anyone. He abused his position as a leader in the community, boasting about his connections to law enforcement and intimidating the victim into silence, according to the US Attorney's Office.
Daskal's guilty plea comes as a shock to the community, as he was widely known and connected to politicians and law enforcement officials. He had even donated money to prominent figures such as state senator and former mayor Bill de Blasio. The revelation of his crimes has cast a dark shadow over the Boro Park Shomrim Society, which serves as a respected community organization but had taken some hits to its reputation in recent years.
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Jacob Daskal is founder and former head of the Boro Park Shomrim neighborhood patrol organization
(Twitter)
In 2013, Daskal publicly defended the group's actions following the acquittal of David Flores on attempted murder charges. Flores had shot four Shomrim members during a tumultuous clash in 2010. The altercation stemmed from a report received by the Shomrim alleging that Flores had been engaging in inappropriate behavior near children. However, during the trial, the specific allegation of masturbation could not be substantiated and fell apart. Despite this, Flores was convicted of weapon possession and received a 12-year prison sentence.
This case raised questions about the actions and conduct of the Shomrim. While the masturbation allegation was not upheld in court, it shed light on the complexities that can arise when community watch groups take matters into their own hands. The incident has contributed to ongoing discussions surrounding the role and accountability of such organizations in ensuring public safety.