Rabbi Pleads Guilty in Sex Sting Case

A rabbi who was among more than forty suspects caught up on an online sex sting early this year has entered a guilty plea in response to charges that he engaged in "electronic communication describing sexual conduct with a child," local Minneapolis news channel .

Aryeh Cohen, 44, was among 17 suspects who were arrested when they showed up at an apartment in North St. Paul expecting to meet minors. Most of the men arrested were led by undercover police via Craiglist ads to believe that they were meeting underage girls, reported local newspaper the Pioneer Press in an article published last summer. Other avenues were also used by the police, including dating app Plenty of Fish, the article noted.

Rabbi Cohen reportedly arrived thinking he was going to meet a 15-year-old boy he'd met on Grindr, media outlets, including the Minneapolis Star Tribune, reported.

Before arriving at the apartment building, where he was arrested in the parking lot on Feb. 1, Cohen reportedly had online exchanges with an undercover officer who eventually claimed to be a minor. Cohen, the Star Tribune article said, seemingly acknowledged this by replying "It's a little illegal," and talking about sex acts.

The KSTP story said that Cohen entered his plea on Nov. 9. His sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 16.

Cohen had been with the Minneapolis Community Kollel, or educational institute, KSTP reported, but is "no longer participating in Kollel activities."

Jewish news outlet Forward reported that Minneapolis Community Kollel is "an Orthodox community center that offers seminars and classes on Jewish texts and religious life." One individual who had been part of a program for young professionals that Cohen had run told the publication, "He was the at very center of the Jewish community in St. Louis Park, and because of that he has an insane amount of connections," and went on to add, "A lot of people are going to hurt from this."

The KSTP article said that the criminal complaint against Cohen stated that "he admitted to connecting with who he thought was an underage male," the article said.

Forward reported that Cohen volunteered the comment, "I sort of deserve it" as he was being arrested.