Yaron Eliav, an associate professor of rabbinic literature at the University, has finished his court-ordered probation after pleading no contest to the charge of using a computer to commit a crime in 2008. However, e-mail conversations and court documents obtained by The Michigan Daily show the University initially imposed restrictions on his professorship after the incident.

Eliav was involved in an incident in April 2008 when he responded to advertised sexual acts on Craigslist that were posted by a 22-year-old University Law school student. Eliav paid the student $300 for sexual acts. During the incident, the student allowed him to slap her buttocks but became concerned when he slapped her twice on the face. The student pursued Eliav in court after their encounter.

Eliav received a deferred sentence on Dec. 30, 2008 after pleading no contest to the charge of using a computer to commit a crime.

The student involved also received a deferred sentence after pleading no contest to the charge of using a computer to commit a crime.

Steve Hiller, deputy chief prosecuting attorney for Washtenaw County who was not involved in the lawsuit, said the case was dismissed in November 2009. He added that Eliav and the Law student successfully completed their probationary periods and “no longer have a public record of conviction.”

Eliav wrote in an e-mail interview this week that he and the Law student currently have no legal repercussions as a result of the situation.

"I wish to emphasize that the incident concluded without any legal consequences, for me or the woman involved; the only charge that was eventually brought to court against us — illegal use of a computer — was dismissed without conviction and without any criminal record,” Eliav wrote. “In other words, I was not found guilty of any wrongdoing.”

Eliav returned to teach on campus in fall 2009. As an associate professor in the Department of Near Eastern Studies, Eliav is teaching two courses this semester — “The Land of Israel/Palestine through the Ages” and “Introduction to Rabbinic Literature.”

University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said Eliav currently holds a tenured position and is under no additional restrictions from the University other than what was originally enforced.

Eliav said he “deeply regrets” that the incident happened and hopes to continue to serve his students and the University to the best of his abilities.

“People make mistakes,” Eliav wrote. “Thankfully, as humans, we can take responsibility for our mistakes, learn from them, take the necessary steps to correct them and hopefully be allowed to move on."

Around the time of the trial, the University conducted an investigation to see if Eliav utilized University resources while using a computer to commit a crime. A Dec. 28, 2008 letter from LSA Dean Terrence McDonald to Eliav, which was obtained by the Daily, outlined the findings of the investigation.

The letter cites police records in which Eliav confessed to using the alias Mark Tegels in his online exchanges with the Law student.

The University’s investigation found that Eliav also used University computers to view a Craigslist posting and to communicate with other Craigslist members about their personal advertisements.

The letter states that these actions were in violation of several University policies, including that faculty members should view their access to resources as a “privilege” and must use the resources “with respect for the public trust.” The policies also state that a member of the University cannot “assume another person’s identity or role through deception without proper authorization.”

According to the letter, Eliav violated these policies and violated conduct required by faculty under University policies, state and federal laws.