Slashdot has reported:

German police have opened a sexual harassment investigation after a robot allegedly touched a 16-year-old girl’s buttocks and made thrusting motions while two young men reportedly filmed and streamed the incident. Police seized the robot and the suspects’ phones and are examining whether its movements were preprogrammed or controlled in real time.

Cologne police spokesman Christoph Bermel said the two male teenagers have not been charged but are considered suspects. He said investigators were unfamiliar with this type of incident. “We have not been aware of this phenomenon so far,” Bermel told The Associated Press, describing it as “new territory for us.”

The case has drawn international attention as a potential first documented instance of a robot being used directly in a sexual assault. Videos circulating online show two young men escorting the robot towards a group of women on a lively street at night. The robot appears to bump into one woman and hug others.

The robot was described as 120 centimetres tall, or about 3 feet 11 inches. It wore a white tank top, black sweatpants, a gold chain and sunglasses, and appeared to have a fake moustache. Investigators are working to establish whether its actions were programmed in advance or directed as they happened.