Popular Children's Book Author Accused Of Sexually Abusing Minors

Celebrated Israeli children’s book author Chaim Walder has been accused of sexually abusing young girls — allegations that he has denied.

Three women accused the 52-year-old author, educator and therapist of using his popularity and status to take advantage of them sexually in an investigative report published Friday by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Two of the women detailed incidents they said happened when they were 12 and 15.

Lawyers for Walder denied the allegations, describing them as “false accusations rooted in bold lies that amount to a blood libel,” the Times of Israel reported.

One of the victims, who used the pseudonym Talia, alleged that Walder started grooming her when she was sent to him for treatment at age 12, roughly 20 years ago. After she got her first period at 13, Walder allegedly told her that it called for a celebration and raped her at a hotel in Ramat Gan.

"I would study for tests in my head, wait for it to end and go home," Talia told Haaretz of the alleged rapes, according to The Jerusalem Post. "I was like a corpse. I remember his smell, his belt, but it was a technical process and the feeling was completely disconnected. The disconnect accompanied me for years."

Talia, who said she was left traumatized by the alleged abuse, claimed that the sexual encounters continued on a weekly basis. It was only when she reached the age of 16 when she finally managed to cut ties with Walder, the woman said. She alleged that Walder made her keep what happened between them a secret and told her that nobody would believe her even if she did say anything.

A second woman told the newspaper that she was allegedly raped by Walder regularly starting when she was 15 years old, also around two decades ago.

A third woman alleged that Walder abused his position as her therapist. She was in her 20s when their alleged sexual encounters started. She filed a police complaint against the author more than a decade ago, but the case was closed by prosecutors, who cited lack of evidence.

Walder's attorneys said in a statement that the author denies the allegations "with disgust" and that the claims "are unworthy of a response as they have no connection to reality."

His lawyers also claimed that Walder was being targeted because of his work to help children who have suffered from violence and abuse. They alleged that this has led to some people banding together to "harm" Walder.

Walder had undertaken a lie detector test and was found to be telling the truth when he denied the allegations, the attorneys added.

Walder's series "Kids Speak" has sold over 2 million copies in Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post. The first book in the series became one of the top five best-selling books of all time in Israel.