LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Israeli official arrested in a Las Vegas sex sting operation never appeared before a judge and posted bail before leaving the country, the district attorney reaffirmed Tuesday.

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, 38, faces a charge of luring a child with a computer for sex acts, according to police. The charge carries a prison sentence of 1-10 years.

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,” the 8 News Now Investigators first reported Monday, citing court documents. Police then arrested Alexandrovich as he prepared to meet with the decoy.

Criminal cases in Nevada begin in justice court, which townships administer. The courts, including Henderson Justice Court, offer a standard bail schedule where defendants can pay to bail out of jail for most charges, including felonies. While the FBI and federal officials were involved in Alexandrovich’s arrest, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Most sex-crime cases in Southern Nevada are handled by task forces comprised of federal, state and local partners.

Alexandrovich posted $10,000 bail shortly after his arrest, court records showed. The process allows defendants to pay the fee and waive their right to a probable cause hearing, which the justice court oversees.

“There was no court involvement,” Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said Tuesday. “There was no prosecution involvement. This is the normal practice. It is very standard in this community and many communities across the country.”

A 2020 Nevada Supreme Court decision changed the state’s bail system, making the payment “necessary to reasonably ensure the defendant’s appearance.”

“He was booked into jail. He posted the $10,000 bail very quickly and was released before his case even needed to go before a judge,” Wolfson said, “And it’s not only this, individual defendant. There were three or four others that, like him, posted the bail right away, so there was no court appearance.”

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, the 8 News Now Investigators reported Monday. Thus, no judge could put any added restrictions on his release. While a judge later reviewed the bail, there was no physical hearing and the judge had no mechanism to add further restrictions.

In addition to Alexandrovich, seven other defendants face similar charges connected to the sting.

Interim U.S. Attorney for Nevada Sigal Chattah blamed Wolfson and a “state court judge” for failing to require Alexandrovich to surrender his passport after posting bail, however, neither had anything to do with the process. The justice court sets the standard bail schedule, and the process to bail out at that point post-arrest does not involve the district attorney’s office nor any judge.

“The individual who fled our country should have had his passport seized by the state authorities,” Chattah said. “He must be returned immediately to face justice.”

A statement from the U.S. State Department incorrectly reported that Alexandrovich appeared before a judge.

“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 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.”

Prosecutors had yet to formally file charges against Alexandrovich as of Tuesday. A status check in his case was scheduled before a judge on Aug. 27. That day, a judge will hear from prosecutors to see if the criminal complaint – the actual charging document – was filed. At that point, the judge can re-address bail and place further restrictions should she deem them necessary. It was not immediately clear if Alexandrovich would appear in court in person that day or have an attorney appear in his presence.

Attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld were representing Alexandrovich, a filing indicted Tuesday. Wolfson said he had no concerns about his return.

“We intend on defending this matter within the justice system, not the media,” Chesnoff and Schonfeld said in a statement. “People should not rush to judgment and everyone is presumed innocent. Finally, his release was consistent with normal procedures and bail was posted.”

A representative from the Henderson Justice Court did not return a request for comment.