German police seize robot ‘used to sexually assault teenage girl’

German police have seized a humanoid robot that was allegedly used to grope a teenage girl in Germany.

The assault was livestreamed on social media, police say.

The robot’s 16-year-old owner and a 19-year-old man, who reportedly added a graphic commentary to the footage, are under investigation.

The alleged victim was with friends outside a fast-food restaurant in the city of Cologne just before midnight when the 4ft robot approached her from behind and sexually assaulted her, according to police.

The girl, also 16, raised the alarm, and officers found the suspects on a nearby street corner. An image released by police shows a red and gold robot wearing a gold chain and shades along with a white vest.

Police say they then discovered the robot in the boot of a Volkswagen car. A photograph shows the robot with red and gold arms, a fake moustache and a fake-gold chain. Robots like it sell for between $5,000 (£3,700) and $9,000 (£6,800).

Police seized the robot and both suspects’ phones, and detectives are investigating whether someone was controlling the robot during the attack.

Authorities said that they had never encountered such an incident and said that it marked “new territory for us”, according to a statement by Cologne police spokesperson Christoph Bermel to the Associated Press.

“We have not been aware of this phenomenon so far,” Bermel said.

He added that two male teenagers have been charged and are considered suspects, and that investigators are looking into whether the robot’s movements were programmed or controlled in real time.

In a Facebook post on a police account, officers criticised inappropriate comments being made on the incident and warned that joking about it could have an adverse impact on the victim of the assault.

Cologne police said: “The criminal investigation department is now examining how the robot was functioning at the time of the incident and whether someone was deliberately controlling its movements.

“Officers confiscated the robot and two mobile phones belonging to the suspects.

“The criminal investigation department is investigating on suspicion of sexual harassment.”