Framingham Official, Former Rabbi, 3rd Man Nabbed In Child Sex Sting: Reports

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A Framingham town official, a former rabbi and a third man were nabbed in child sex sting, according to police and reports.

"The suspects who were arrested thought they were arranging sex for a fee with an underage child, when in fact they were communicating with undercover law enforcement officers," the Massachusetts State Police said in a media release.

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The undercover operation was conducted Thursday by the state police High Risk Victims Unit and the Framingham Police Department to "address the increase in commercial sexual exploitation of children," according to the release.

The operation led to the arrest of Joseph C. Norton of Framingham, Eric S. Gurvis of Sherborn and Surya Chandra Ravi Kumar Eda of Milford, the release said.

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All three men were charged with sexual conduct for a fee with a child, enticement of a child under the age of 16 and the attempted rape of a child, according to the release.,

The MetroWest Daily News identified Norton as the Vice Chair of the Framingham Planning Board and the Newtown Beacon identified Gurvis as a former rabbi.

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All three of the suspects were held on $7,500 bail pending arraignment at Framingham District Court.

"In a statement to the Daily News, Mayor Charlie Sisitsky said he was made aware of Norton's arrest on Friday morning," the Daily News story said.

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Gurvis "served as a rabbi at Temple Shalom in West Newton from 1999 to 2017," according to the Beacon.

"Erica Neufeld, president of the temple’s Board of Directors, sent out an email alerting members of the news and assuring members that the temple has had no affiliation with Gervis since he left eight years ago," the Beacon reported.

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