A former Army Radio producer who later worked for the haredi Radio Kol Chai news outlet was found dead in an Eilat hotel room on Sunday.
Baruch Indig, a 25-year old native of the haredi city of Modiin Illit, had left the haredi world several years ago.
Indig and his girlfriend, Odelia Bechar, were both found in their Eilat hotel room Sunday afternoon with no vital signs. Emergency medical teams were called from MDA and United Hatzalah, but paramedics who arrived at the scene were forced to declare the two dead.
A suicide note was found in the couple’s hotel room, though police say they are still examining all possible causes of death.
Like Indig, Bechar was raised in a haredi family in Modiin Illit, and had in recent years left the religious world. The two had gone public with their relationship just days before their apparent suicide.
Shortly before his death, Indig publicized the sexual abuse he suffered as a child, and described his decision to leave the haredi world.
Indig began his career in news media during his service in the IDF, when he worked at Army Radio, first as a technician and later as a producer.
In April 2014, Indig was targeted by anti-Zionist radicals in Bnei Brak who told him to “Get out of our city!”
Last December, Indig was charged with sexual harassment, impersonation, and other crimes related to his hacking into social media accounts.
From 2013 until August 2015, prosecutors say, Indig hacked into dozens of private email and social media accounts, using the accounts to obtain intimate pictures of at least nine different people.
Authorities say in at least one case, Indig stole credit card information found on one of the email accounts, and used it to make purchases.
