Bus (illustration)
Bus (illustration)Thinkstock

A man in his 30s has been arrested on the suspicion of sexual assault of children on buses.

Police reported this morning (Thursday) that an arrest has been made in connection with an investigation into allegations of sexual assault of minors on a bus route operating between Beit Shemesh and Jerusalem.

According to the police report, the suspect has been frequenting the bus route, which caters to many young students traveling to schools and Yeshivas. He would sit next to a young boy, put his Teffilin bag on his lap, and touch his own genitals while touching the boy next to him.

The investigation was opened following an official complaint filed by one victim. Intelligence resources were brought to bear, and with the cooperation of influential community leaders in Beit Shemesh the police's efforts culminated in the suspect's arrest yesterday.

The police has called on other victims to come forward and file reports to help prosecutors build a case against the suspect.

The Deputy Commander of Beit Shemesh police said: "This is a severe matter. According to our findings we are dealing with a large number of victims. We were able to make the arrest thanks to the fruitful cooperation between the police and residents and community leaders in the city, this in addition to the professionalism of the investigators. The police will use all of it's resources to bring the man to justice."

According to reports by Kikar Hashabbat, the bus route is the 418, a "Mehadrin" route, meaning men and women sit in separate sections of the bus. The suspect was always dressed in haredi garb, according to the reports.