Robot allegedly used to grope teen girl seized by German police

Berlin — German police have seized a humanoid robot after it allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl in an indecent manner and made sexually suggestive gestures toward her. Investigators were trying to determine Wednesday whether the robot's actions were deliberately controlled by two young men who apparently livestreamed the incident in the western city of Cologne on social media.

Videos shared online appear to show the teenage girl standing with two friends, aged 17 and 18, when a red-and-gold robot in athletic wear, about 4 feet tall, approaches her from behind. According to police, and as the videos appear to show, the robot touches the 16-year-old's buttocks and repeatedly makes thrusting movements toward her.

The owner of the robot, a 16-year-old male, and his 19-year-old companion are said to have recorded and livestreamed the encounter themselves, while commenting on it live on social media.

German media identified the robot as a commercially available humanoid model that costs around 5,000 euros, or about $5,600.

Investigators are analyzing surveillance video and online recordings to reconstruct the exact sequence of events, the police said. They also hope to determine whether the robot's actions were controlled remotely, whether specific movements were programmed, or whether the machine acted on its own.

Instead, police are investigating the case on suspicion of a sexually motivated insult. Possible violations involving the unauthorized publication of images may also be examined.

The case highlights new challenges for law enforcement agencies as increasingly powerful humanoid robots become more accessible to private individuals, bringing new questions about where responsibility lies when machines are used to commit potentially criminal acts.

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