Charlotte man could serve prison time for sex crimes involving minors

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The former past president of the congregation at Temple Beth El pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.

Evan Wilkoff was first arrested in March 2021.

Officials with the synagogue said in a statement sent to WBTV that Wilkoff resigned from the board after notifying the temple of the charges.

“Our Board, with the assistance of legal counsel, reviewed the situation as presented and found that this was a private matter, and there was no connection between what Evan was accused of doing and his involvement at TBE,” the statement read, in part.

Wilkoff will serve between 5 and 15 months in prison, sentence suspended pending successful completion of two years of supervised probation, according to the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office.

He will register as a sex offender for 30 years.

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Read the full statement by Temple Beth El below:

Today’s edition of The Charlotte Observer has a story about a past president of our congregation, Evan Wilkoff, who was charged in March 2021 with possessing child pornography.

Temple Beth El learned of the case when Evan was initially charged in 2021. He was immediate past president at the time and resigned from the board and other leadership positions after notifying us about the charges against him.

Although the news story emphasized Evan’s leadership at Temple, our congregation has no bearing in this case. We have never been contacted by the authorities involved. Our Board, with the assistance of legal counsel, reviewed the situation as presented and found that this was a private matter, and there was no connection between what Evan was accused of doing and his involvement at TBE. Nor have we heard from any Temple Beth El family with concerns that may be related to the circumstances of this case or any other behavior during the tenure of his leadership. Throughout these difficult circumstances, the congregation’s leaders have been diligent about staying informed of developments and keeping the well-being of the congregation at the forefront.

This is a very sad circumstance, especially for the victims and for Evan’s family. Judaism strives for justice for victims, and we offer our prayers for everyone affected by the acts that give rise to this case. In every instance Judaism seeks justice that is appropriate to a particular case and to the specific issues at hand.

Ascertaining justice and appropriate punishment is the role of judge and jury. As we are guided by these Jewish teachings, we are also reminded of those pertaining to Lashon Hara (gossip) and the avoidance of spreading rumors out of consideration for a fellow congregational family and the community.