Fake Texas Rabbi Sentenced After Son Exposes Abuse on Podcast

A viral TikTok “Rabbi Dad” was sentenced to 40 Years for child sexual abuse after a bombshell confession on a podcast.

To his 300,000+ TikTok followers, Hayim Nissim Cohen was a devout Hasidic rabbi, a loving father of nine adopted sons, and a wholesome content creator sharing glimpses of their “Jewish” family life. But behind the scenes, a much darker reality was unfolding.

Cohen, who has now been exposed as a total fraud, pleaded guilty to four counts of child sexual assault and one count of indecency with a child. A Texas court handed down four 40-year prison sentences with no parole, plus an additional 15-year sentence to run concurrently; meaning: Cohen "will die behind bars."

A Carefully Crafted Internet Persona

Cohen, who presented himself as a Yiddish-speaking Hasidic rabbi from New York, was actually born Jeffrey Lujan Vejil in Odessa, Texas.

According to reports, there’s no real evidence that he ever converted to Judaism. Yet online, he wore traditional Hasidic attire, styled payos (side curls), and even renamed his adopted sons with Hebrew names to sell the illusion.

He wasn’t just faking faith, he also faked a chronic illness, too. Videos showed him in a wheelchair with oxygen tubes, but when arrested in 2023, two different hospitals confirmed: he was perfectly fine.

It All Unraveled with a Podcast Call

Cohen’s entire world came crashing down when his 17-year-old adopted son called into a podcast and accused him of years of sexual abuse, starting when he was just 11. CPS immediately stepped in, removing six younger children from the home.

During the court hearing the judge tells Cohen, “You ran an interesting con, sir." After his sentences, the judge added, “You violated all these boys and you’re here today facing justice.”