Wednesday, January 28, 2026
NY judge cuts sentence of Hasidic therapist imprisoned for child sex abuse
Nechemya Weberman, an unlicensed therapist in the New York City Hasidic community who was imprisoned for abuse in 2013, has his sentence cut.
Weberman was initially sentenced to 103 years in prison in a high-profile case for the city's Jewish community. The sentence was reduced months later to 50 years.
Weberman was convicted of 59 counts, including sustained sexual abuse of a child, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse.
Judge Matthew J. D'Emic of the Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn cuts that sentence further, resentencing Weberman to 18 years in prison, meaning he can be released five years from now.
Weberman also admitted to his crimes and apologized to the victim for the first time.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez backed a move to issue a new sentence for Weberman last year. An array of Jewish leaders also backed his release in a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul that was first reported by The Times of Israel in November.
The letter argued against Weberman's "excessive sentence" and said he was a "scapegoat," while condemning his crimes.
The Brooklyn district attorney's office said last year that his sentence was "wildly outside the range for other defendants convicted of the same crimes."
"This was a horrific case and we stand by the conviction, which warranted a significant prison term. But the extreme 103-year sentence in a politicized environment was excessive and unjust, and with today's proceeding the defendant admitted his guilt, apologized to the victim for his crimes, and the court resentenced him within the normal range for this type of criminal conduct," a spokesperson for the district attorney's office says.
"Accountability does not end upon the defendant's eventual release: he will be a registered sex offender for the remainder of his life and subject to monitoring for a decade to ensure community safety. We will continue to vigorously prosecute sex offenders and stand with survivors, mindful to do equal justice based on the facts of each case," the spokesperson says.
Za'akah, a nonprofit that supports Jewish community survivors of abuse, expresses "outrage" over the resentencing and adds that Weberman's victim opposed the move.
"This decision is a devastating betrayal of survivors. It tells them that the system meant to protect them is willing to prioritize their abusers over their safety and justice. Nechemya Weberman's early release endangers the community," says the director of Za'akah, Asher Lovy. "Justice must never be compromised by community pressure or political considerations. We are outraged by this decision."
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