Trigger warning. "Our unique family" in jail—non-Jews

zigi

Thu, Feb 23 2023, 4:40 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

That swearing in ceremoney looked to me like it was just a bit. You dont actually see the army there, just him, in civilian garb.

At meps, swearing in ceremony all branches are together wearing civilian clothes.

↑ Mama Bear ↓

Fri, Feb 24 2023, 4:19 pm

New hearing today! and new information. wow.

***

Houston adoptive father of 9 used religion, social media to mask abuse of children, prosecutors say
Matt deGrood
,
Prosecutors outlined a hellish life for the adoptive children of Hayim Cohen — whose birth name is Jeffrey Lujan Vejil — outside his portrayal of a tight-knit, pious family on social media.

“Behind all that is excessive abuse,” said Janna Oswald, chief prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Crimes Against Children Division.

Each court appearance of the defendant, the latest on Friday and with him now facing 12 child abuse charges, has unraveled a layer of purported deceit. Oswald doubted the life that 38-year-old Cohen portrayed online and in person, believing that he used religion and social media to mask years of abuse.

“Grooming is not just of a child, it’s of the people around the children and the community,” Oswald said.

Cohen frequently touted raising nine children as a single father under the “Our Unique Family” website and social media accounts of the same name. He also depicted the family as practicing the Orthodox Hasidic faith — a persona that members of the Orthodox community near Cohen’s Brays Oaks home have questioned and flagged to authorities for years. Those faith members declined to be publicly identified.

The reality of the situation was that the children remained locked in a room for most of the day, Oswald said. Cohen would let the children out around 4 p.m. and sometimes force them to perform relations acts.

One child, now 16, said that if he disobeyed, his adoptive father would pepper spray him, she continued.

Charles Johnson, who began representing Cohen last week, adamantly referred to the charges as accusations and said he is still reviewing the "voluminous amount of discovery" prosecutors gave him.

Cohen’s first brush with Harris County authorities happened in 2019 following his arrest on an indecency with a child charge involving a foreign exchange student. The bond conditions prevented him from going within 1,000 feet of places where children may be, such as a school, but he was not prevented from being around his own children. From there, reports into his behavior continued. Representatives for Child Protective Services have declined to comment on the number of reports they received or why the children remained in his care.

The prosecutor told Judge Danilo Lacayo that several outcries involving Cohen’s children were received over the years and each one investigated, including an admission to members of a boy scout group. But there was never sufficient evidence to amount to additional charges until a Feb. 1 podcast that featured one of the boys detailing the abuse.

The district attorney’s office has asked the 182nd District Court judge to hold Cohen without bail, asking for a hearing to elaborate on some evidence to determine whether he presents a threat to others. The children will not be expected to testify.

“If we go to trial, I've every intent that the children will testify,” Oswald said. “My goal as a child abuse prosecutor is to do the least amount of harm to any children, young adults that have been abused. A lot of the times that means trying to keep them off the stand and doing what's right by them in their journey to be able to heal from what they've endured.”

Records in Dallas County indicate that Cohen was born in the west Texas city of Odessa and has tried changing his name on multiple occasions. During a 2009 request, he asked a court to change his name to Chaim Nissim Vejil because he was “converting to the Jewish faith and would like to carry a Jewish name.”

The change appeared to go through, records show. The following year, Cohen asked for another name change, this time to Hayim Nissim Cohen and again citing his faith conversion.

Cohen has identified himself as such ever since.

Back in his home town, Cohen racked up three misdemeanor theft charges in 2005 and 2006, according to Ector County court records. Despite moving to Houston, he continued to visit the county seat and take his adoptive children with him. One of the accusers told police that Cohen had a cabin in Odessa and abuse would happen there as well, according to charging documents.

Cohen’s mounting criminal allegations have garnered the attention of those representing the foreign exchange student who accused him of s-xual abuse. His accusation prompted the 2019 criminal charge, which is pending, and then a civil lawsuit.

The lawyer in that civil case, Sherry Chandler, watched Friday’s proceedings.

“I’m not the least bit surprised at the subsequent outcry from his adopted sons,” Chandler said. “He is a pedophile. And what we’ve learned in our civil case is that this conduct has been going on for awhile.”

Records show Cohen underwent a deposition last October for the civil case but the questioning abruptly stopped when he “experienced a purported medical issue and turned off his computer.” Lawyers were unable to reach him later to resume the deposition but noted that he continued to appear in social media postings.

Cohen has appeared in court in a wheelchair and claimed that he has a terminal illness. The state of his health, like many things in his life, has been questioned by prosecutors and his adoptive children.

↑ Blessing1 ↓

Fri, Feb 24 2023, 4:28 pm

Hope this pig rots in jail for life.

↑ Highstrung ↓

Fri, Feb 24 2023, 4:56 pm

😭🤢🤮

↑ Mama Bear ↓

Fri, Feb 24 2023, 5:08 pm

keeping the kids locked up most of the day, pepper spray.... horrific things.
I'm glad theyre finally addressing the faux religion thing too.
On a different web site, it is mentioned that 7 of the 9 boys came foward already.

↑ Chickensoupprof

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 3:35 pm

What a horrific story... Children are locked up most of the day, and need to act like circus animals in front of a camera while behind the curtains they are molested... Yuk.

↑ frummiebackhome

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 3:45 pm

I understand america is the land of freedom but I think a person shouldn't be allowed to change their legal name except for very serious reasons especially if they have criminal records.

shyner

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 5:22 pm

frummiebackhome wrote:

I understand america is the land of freedom but I think a person shouldn't be allowed to change their legal name except for very serious reasons especially if they have criminal records.

It’s pretty common for people to change their name in many countries.
People change their name when they get married.

↑ rainbow dash ↓

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 5:59 pm

Sounds like the Turpin case

↑ watergirl

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 8:20 pm

https://www.click2houston.com/.....d-da/

↑ OceanChimes ↓

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 8:48 pm

This is so so horrifying. I don't know why I keep following this, just feeling sick about it. And add the fact of the ppl using it to vilify jews, I don't hang out much on Twitter and never knew that so many people openly despised us and will use anything to further their rhetoric.

↑ sandyish

Sat, Feb 25 2023, 9:39 pm

Thank you for the updates Mama Bear

↑ Mama Bear ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 10:12 am

So, besides for the fate of the evil dad, I am more concerned how the kids are doing, since theyre obviously off social media now.
My only link to finding out how they are, is by following the lovely lady who is the podcaster. According to her, Shmariyahu is in a shelter, with a $500 monthly stipend. THat is really nothing. He doesnt even have his phone,, and he is terrified to go back to his house to get his stuff bc his brothers will murder him. They are not happy that he broke up the house.
Basically, CPS threw him from the frying pan into the fire. Yes, he's free from torture now, but he was left out to pasture to his own devices. I don't think he's capable of navigating life on his own, after what he's been through. I feel so bad for him. I wonder if he regrets what he's done - although it was the right thing to do.
There is literally nobody to pick up the pieces and help him out. I doubt the frum community in Texas is gonna step in, since they're not even Jewish. As it happens, he has a lot of friends on the outside bc he was active on social media, but he doesnt have acess to anyone or anything at this moment. Why is CPS so terrible???
I'm gonna keep tabs on this story, but I can't stop thinking about this kid and wondering what's going through his head right now.
Makes me sad that we're likely not gonna hear from any of these people again for a long time. The older brothers are mad at Shmariyahu (whom the podcaster calls YuYu to protect his identity), the little ones are safe somewhere I hope, and this family is basically done.
I'll keep you updated.

↑ Highstrung ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 10:17 am

Mama Bear wrote:

The saddest thing is that the boys “had each other “ during their life in hell. Now they lost that too. Also, because of their vulnerability it’s so easy for another psycho to take advantage of them and do bad things to them again. Very sad for these children.

↑ OceanChimes ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 10:27 am

Mama Bear wrote:

Ugh that poor kid, it's the reason why it's a catch 22 for victims of abuse to report, he has nobody now so alone and terrified. Like there isn't bliss on the other side. Why can't he be placed with a family?

Where can you follow that podcaster?

momsprince

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 10:48 am

Mama Bear wrote:

https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/houston-man-charged-with-s-xually-assaulting-6-adopted-sons-is-faking-terminal-illness-prosecutors-say-graphic-content/285-44e20f29-772a-4e10-9e6b-ac062bd4bee3

interesting.... the 3 older sons are on the father's side, and the 5 younger ones are backing up Shmariyahu.
This is very interesting. I'm trying to figure out why.

maybe they're scared they'll be prosecuted as well cause of their age? There's definitely fear in the lack of support.

↑ Mama Bear ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 2:37 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?.....;t=1s

This is the podcaster.
I wonder how much I can believe of what she's saying. But she seems legit. She's not asking anyone for money - that would smell of a scam instantly. She's instead asking people in Texas what she can do to help.
But hello! The law enforcement ppl she spoke to last week should be able to guide her somehwat, no?

↑ rainbow dash ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 2:59 pm

https://abc30.com/turpin-lawsu.....2893/

It sounds like this. The Turpin kids were further abused by their foster families.

↑ Blessing1 ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 11:08 pm

Where the 3 older brothers accomplice to the abuse? Why are they so mad at him?

Ainslie ↓

Sun, Feb 26 2023, 11:18 pm

Mama Bear wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR_cZ5iMtGc&t=1s

This is the podcaster.
I wonder how much I can believe of what she's saying. But she seems legit. She's not asking anyone for money - that would smell of a scam instantly. She's instead asking people in Texas what she can do to help.
But hello! The law enforcement ppl she spoke to last week should be able to guide her somehwat, no?

can you please post the link of the original podcast where you hear the boy? I can't find it. Thanks