LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An Israeli cybersecurity official arrested in Las Vegas in an undercover sting was taken into custody as he planned to meet up with a decoy pretending to be 15 years old, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, faces a charge of luring a child with a computer for sex acts, according to police. Alexandrovich was in Las Vegas for the Black Hat USA 2025 cybersecurity conference, police said.

A post on an Israeli government website indicates Alexandrovich works as the head of the Technological Defense Division at the Israel National Cyber Directorate.

On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Alexandrovich chatted online with the decoy posing as a 15-year-old girl about meeting for “sexual contact,” documents said. The chatting applications included “Pure,” which describes itself as “a place where you can make (and break) your own rules and date, play and misbehave.”

“The sexual contact included bringing a condom and taking the decoy to ‘Cirque du Soleil,’” police said.

Police arrested Alexandrovich, who was staying at Resorts World Las Vegas, as he arrived at the agreed-upon location in a rideshare, police said. The location was redacted in court documents. Officers then brought Alexandrovich to a Henderson police station for questioning.

At that time, officials notified the Israeli consulate of his arrest, police said. He told police he believed the girl he was chatting with was 18.

“Alexandrovich stated he felt the girl ‘pushed’ him to talk about bringing a condom, yet could not remember how many times the girl ‘pushed’ him,” documents said. “Alexandrovich stated he was embarrassed for being arrested.”

Alexandrovich posted $10,000 bail shortly after his arrest, court records showed.

“The Department of State is aware that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, an Israeli citizen, was arrested in Las Vegas and given a court date for charges related to soliciting sex electronically from a minor,” a post on “X” from the U.S. State Department said Monday. “He did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the U.S. government intervened are false.”

Alexandrovich did not appear before a judge and posted bond before his state-entitled probable cause hearing and before prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against him, meaning no judge could put any added restrictions on his release, records indicated.

Alexandrovich’s next court appearance was scheduled for Aug. 27.

Southern Nevada police agencies and federal authorities arrested eight men as part of the sting operation. Also arrested, Neal Creecy, 46, a pastor accused of meeting a person he thought was a 14-year-old boy, documents said.