What did Hayim Nissim Cohen do? TikTok rabbi charged with molesting adopted sons

Hayim Nissim, a TikTok-famous dad from Houston, Texas, who posed as a Hasidic Jew is charged with s*xually abusing his adopted sons while being out on bond in a separate child s*x case.

38-year-old Hayim Nissim Cohen found social media acclaim after he blogged about his unique family. He boasts around 200,000 followers on TikTok. He faked a Jewish heritage and even claimed he had a chronic illness.

Trigger Warning: This article contains several references to a gruesome crime. Reader discretion is advised.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Cohen was arrested last month after one of his sons anonymously reported being molested and r*ped on a podcast on January 30, 2023.

The 17-year-old boy revealed the horrifying details on the BlindSkinnedBeauty podcast. He stated that his stepfather first started assaulting him in 2016, just a few weeks after he was adopted at the age of 11. Requesting help, the boy added that his brothers too faced similar abuse.

Since then, five of his remaining eight brothers, aged 9, 10, 14, 15, and 16, have spoken against Cohen. Three of the remaining brothers have taken a stand in support of their father.

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Child Protective Services was called several times before Hayim Nissim was finally arrested

The 17-year-old boy contacted the podcast through a burner phone. The host then informed the police, who in turn alerted Child Protective Services (CPS). During the call, the minor also said that despite CPS being called eight times, authorities could not offer them any protection.

According to the boy, the abuse began with Cohen forcefully making the children massage his feet. He would later force them to perform s*xual acts on himself and each other. He admitted to being r*ped for the first time when he was 14.

Since the details of the case went public, many have questioned which agency allowed Hayim Nissim to adopt and what their vetting process was.

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Hayim was arrested four years ago on another charge involving a minor

In 2019, Hayim was arrested for attacking and molesting a child, a Spanish exchange student who was staying in his home. He was charged with s*xual indecency, but was released on bail and allowed to return home.

According to court documents, Hayim Nissim would touch him inappropriately and then ask the exchange student if he liked it. It further reads:

"He explained that he began to m*****bate the defendant and that it happened while everyone was asleep."

Upon questioning the District Attorney's office as to why the abuser was let go, the spokesperson explained that there was a really high bar for anyone to be held without bond and they were not able to prove it in this case.

The court barred the man from being within 1000 feet of any area or establishment where children frequent, but this rule did not apply to his children.

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Following the news of Cohen's arrest, prosecutor Jana Oswald of the Harris County District Attorney's Office admitted last week that:

"All of us knew there was something going on, but we weren't able to prove it."

Since the arrest, it has come to light that Hayim Nissim staged his everyday family life online, setting up a Cash App account where strangers could donate. He also faked a serious illness.

Child Protective Services declined to comment on the case, stating that investigations were still underway.