Shocking "Sneak-Up" Incident: Robot Sexually Harasses Teen Girl and Even Livestreams It

16-year-old girl targeted in front of a fast-food restaurant in Germany
Robot owner and companion livestreamed the incident on social media
Police: "Investigating how the robot operated and whether it was controlled"

A robot was livestreamed sexually harassing a teenage girl on a German street on social media. Police have launched an investigation into whether the robot’s teenage owner controlled it with the intention of harassing her.

Robot sexually harasses woman... Police suspect deliberate control

A robot seized by Cologne police for sexual harassment. Cologne police

According to local media, including Yonhap News Agency and the German news portal T-Online, Cologne police said on Oct. 12 (local time) that at around 11:45 p.m. on Oct. 10, a robot measuring 120 centimeters tall approached a 16-year-old girl from behind and touched her in front of a fast-food restaurant in central Cologne. The girl was with two friends at the time. The robot was identified as a red-and-gold device.

The robot’s owner was a 16-year-old boy who lives in Wegberg near Cologne and was accompanied by a 19-year-old man. Police believe the two filmed the incident and livestreamed it on social media, with one of them hosting the broadcast and providing commentary.

After receiving a report, police arrested the two suspects at the intersection of Magnusstrasse and Hohenzollernring, near the scene. The robot was in the trunk of the Volkswagen passenger car they had arrived in. It was wearing a sleeveless shirt and sweatpants and had a fake mustache attached. Police launched an investigation on suspicion of sexual insult and seized the two men’s mobile phones and the robot.

Police said, "We are investigating how the robot was operating at the time of the incident and whether anyone deliberately controlled it."

Other videos featuring the same robot have also reportedly been found. Austrian media outlet Vorarlberg Online (VOL.AT) reported that "videos have been found showing the robot roaming around central Cologne and making obscene gestures."

‘Robot beggars’ asking for money also appear in China

There have been previous cases of humanoid robots appearing on the streets and being operated by people remotely. In April, a video of Unitree’s G1 humanoid robot chasing three wild boars in a parking lot in Warsaw, Poland, went viral. The 132-centimeter-tall robot had been active locally as an influencer under the name Edward Barchoki. The New York Post reported that "the video was a promotional performance, and although the robot appeared to be moving on its own, it was actually also being controlled remotely."

A humanoid robot was spotted kneeling and begging for money on a street in China. X

In June, a video spread on social media showing the same G1 model kneeling on a street in Sichuan Province, China, bowing to passersby and begging for money. A dish for cash and a QR code for digital payments were placed in front of the robot, while a loudspeaker repeatedly played the phrases, "I don't have money to recharge" and "Please help me pay the electricity bill." Some passersby actually tossed coins or sent money using the QR code. So-called "robot beggars" have also been spotted one after another in major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Chengdu and Fuzhou, causing a stir.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.