Cologne police seize robot that groped a 16-year-old girl; two young men suspected of controlling it
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Source: apnews.com ↗
"We have not been aware of this phenomenon so far," Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel said, calling it "new territory for us."
A 120-centimeter robot wearing a white tank top, black sweatpants, a gold chain, sunglasses, and a fake mustache touched the buttocks of a 16-year-old girl on a Cologne street and made thrusting movements toward her. Police seized it as evidence.
The robot's suspected owner, 16, and a 19-year-old companion filmed the incident, streamed it, and commentated on it online. Video circulating online shows the two escorting the robot toward a group of women on a nighttime street, bumping into one and hugging others. Neither has been charged; both are considered suspects. Investigators are examining whether the robot's movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time. Emergency teams dispatched to the scene near a fast-food restaurant found the robot in the trunk of a vehicle, along with the two men's confiscated phones. Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel said the department had no prior experience with this kind of case.