A former Brooklyn rabbi was arrested in Beverly Hills on Tuesday for sexual abuse charges stemming from his time in New York, ABC News reported.
Authorities arrested Rabbi Mendel Tevel at a youth center where he was working after a warrant was filed by New York officials for criminal sexual acts.
"Mendel Tevel has been accused by many people of being a child molester. It was brought to the attention of Jewish Community Watch," said Ilanit Gluckosky of Jewish Community Watch, an organization that focuses on child abuse prevention.
The organization states that the charges go back to the mid-1990s and 2004. A total of four men accused Tevel of molesting them when they were boys, aged between 6- and 14-years-old at the time.
After a recent move to Los Angeles, he was employed at the JEM Center -- a Jewish youth community center.
"No child, no parent, no one has alleged anything against the JEM Center. This involves activities that occurred several years ago in New York City," said JEM Center attorney Dana Cole.
Once allegations against Tevel began to surface in August, the Jewish Community Watch said it began to notify local rabbis of the case.
"Law enforcement told them there was no warrant, there was no criminal investigation, so JEM Center attempted to do due diligence. They were assured by law enforcement that nothing was going on and then they were surprised today at this arrest," Cole said.
Rabbi Hertzel Illulian, the director of JEM, is Tevel's father-in-law and denied the accusations.
"God will help that it will show that it's all false and will clear up and people will see while we will still continue our good job for the community," Illulian said.
By Tuesday night, Tevel was still in a Beverly Hills jail but is expected to be extradited to New York.
