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A TikTok-famous father based in Houston, Texas, has been charged with molesting his adopted sons after one of them came forward about the sexual abuse last month. He faces 11 felony charges.

The case has caused outrage on social media as Cohen used the Jewish religion to allegedly harm the children. And the whole time he was gaining fame on social media.

Hayim Nissim Cohen, 38, made a name for himself on TikTok by documenting his life as a single man who adopted nine boys. He was on social media talking about his “unique family.” And had nearly 200,000 followers on TikTok.

Adopted Dad had a fake identity

Cohen claimed to be a Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn, New York, but it was later revealed that he was born Jeffrey Lujan Vejil in Texas. His 17-year-old son revealed anonymously on a podcast last month that Cohen sexually abused him since he was 11 years old and that his other adopted brothers were also abused.

The teen told the podcast BlindSkinnedBeauty that he was afraid to come forward to Child Protective Services because they wouldn’t help. And that he and his brothers had called them numerous times. 

The podcaster Twaiyah Emmarette became an advocate for the family. She is based in Atlanta and has offered to take the Texas children into her home. Although CPS turned down the offer.

Emmarette’s calls prompted a police investigation, and the other five boys have come forward to report the abuse. CPS is currently caring for six of the boys. The other three appeared in court to support their father.

Molesting adopted sons and others 

During the court hearing, prosecutors said the boys were kept locked in a room for most of the day, and Cohen only let them out when he wanted to perform sexual acts. 

A 16-year-old victim said he was once pepper sprayed by him if he refused to perform any sexual acts. 

Cohen had a previous charge of “indecency” with a child after he was accused of harming a foreign exchange student from Spain in 2019, as reported by the New York Post.

Cohen’s adoption of nine boys raised questions about the adoption process and who is fit to adopt children. There are many requirements that individuals or couples must meet before they can adopt children. 

Adoption agencies conduct a thorough background check of potential adoptive parents, including criminal records, financial stability, and personal references. Adoptive parents must also complete home visits and interviews to assess their suitability to parent a child.

It is unclear why Cohen was able to adopt nine boys. This raises concerns about the adoption process. 

The case also highlighted the need for Child Protective Services to investigate reports of abuse and neglect more thoroughly. And what if any response CPS had before the allegations went viral?

 His case is a reminder of the dangers of blindly trusting social media influencers. And is another case of the parasocial relationship.