German police open sexual assault probe after robot allegedly gropes girl, 16, outside Cologne restaurant
A 16-year-old took his robot in public for interaction and livestreaming. BY: NBC NEWS/YOUTUBE
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Advances in artificial intelligence have unexpectedly paved the way for criminal activities, as the German police launched an investigation into an incident where a humanoid robot allegedly tried to grope a teen girl.
German police in the western city of Cologne started a probe after reports suggested that a humanoid robot allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl from behind and repeatedly made thrusting motions on her, while everything was caught on camera, per NBC News.
The 16-year-old owner of the machine from Wegberg, Germany, and a 19-year-old companion were running a public test of the robot while streaming their activities on their social media channels.
The incident happened after midnight on Saturday, October 10, and the streamed footage rapidly gained attention from people.
Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel told the outlet that the two accused have not been criminally charged but are suspects in the case, while investigators try to analyze if the robot functioned automatically.
When police arrived at the location near a fast-food restaurant, they found the robot in the trunk of a car, Cologne Police told on Monday.
Mobile phones of the owner of the robot and his companion were taken by police, along with the machine.
The robot was reportedly 120 centimeters (3 feet 11 inches) tall, dressed in a white tank top and black sweatpants, along with a gold chain and sunglasses. It also featured a fake moustache.
Meanwhile, police said they have not encountered a situation like this in their career.
Videos from the livestream have been circulating on the internet, showing two people taking the robot in a public space and recording the interactions.
The robot allegedly moved towards a group of women standing nearby and began hugging some of them and also made some sexual gestures, which led bystanders to shout at the robot and pull it back, while others burst into laughter.
On social media, Cologne Police called out bystanders’ comments, stating that people should not share jokes about such incidents and that such behavior can affect the victim.
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Source: German police open probe after robot allegedly gropes girl
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