Robot seized by police for ‘thrusting up against 16-year-old girl and touching her buttocks’

Police in Cologne, Germany, have seized a robot allegedly used by a 16-year-old boy to harass a girl of the same age at a fast-food restaurant on Sunday night.

The girl was with two friends, aged 17 and 18, at the restaurant on Palmstrasse when the device allegedly approached her from behind. Police said the red-and-gold robot “touched the girl’s buttocks” and “made thrusting motions against her”.

The boy, from Wegberg, and his 19-year-old companion allegedly livestreamed the incident on social media between 11.45 p.m. and midnight. Officers arrested the pair at the junction of Magnusstrasse and Hohenzollernring. The robot, measuring about 3 feet 11 inches tall, had been placed in the boot of their Volkswagen. Police seized the device and both teenagers’ mobile phones.

The robot appeared to resemble Marvel character Iron Man and was pictured wearing a fake moustache, although authorities did not confirm whether it looked that way during the alleged incident. Detectives are examining whether the device was remotely controlled. “The criminal investigation department is investigating on suspicion of s3xual harassment,” police said.