COLOGNE – A robot wearing sunglasses and a gold chain made obscene gesture and it turned disturbing encounter into a police case as two teenagers are accused of using the remotely controlled robot to harass a 16-year-old girl while recording and livestreaming the incident.
Two boys allegedly misused the machine to harass a 16-year-old girl outside a fast-food restaurant, with footage of the robot’s reported behavior circulating online.
German police just seized a robot as evidence in a sexual harassment case.
Late on Saturday in Cologne, a Chinese-made Unitree humanoid dressed as Iron Man allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl outside a burger bar. A boy of 16 and a man of 19 are suspected of livestreaming it.
So who’s guilty when the hands belong to a machine?
What’s new
→ A full humanoid now costs about €5,000, the price of a used car
→ Police still don’t know if it was steered live or pre-programmedThe people behind it, as with a car or a drone.
The robot wanted nothing. It just let someone touch a girl from a safe distance and film it.https://t.co/SQW0lPvAkD
— Monte Cristo (@Ferm0s) October 14, 2026
The incident reportedly took place late Sunday night in Cologne, in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the girl was accompanied by two friends, aged 17 and 18. According to the complaint filed with police, a robot measuring approximately 120 centimeters (1.2 meters) approached the group from behind and allegedly engaged in inappropriate behavior toward the younger girl.
Investigators say the robot’s alleged operators, aged 16 and 19, recorded the incident and livestreamed it on social media, raising further questions about the use of emerging technology to stage and broadcast acts of harassment.
Videos circulating online reportedly show the robot wearing a white vest, a gold chain and sunglasses as it approaches women on the streets and makes inappropriate movements and obscene gestures. The footage has drawn attention to concerns about the potential misuse of remotely controlled machines in public spaces.
Police and emergency personnel reportedly responded after the incident was brought to their attention. Officers took both suspects into custody and recovered the robot from the trunk of their vehicle.
Authorities also seized the suspects’ mobile phones and the robot as part of the investigation. It also raised question on Were robot’s movements programmed in advance, or were the teenagers controlling it remotely in real time?
German investigators are examining the technical and legal aspects of the case to establish how the alleged conduct was carried out and what responsibility the individuals involved may bear.
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News Desk
The writer is a staff member.