Robot accused of groping 16-year-old girl in Germany; two teens under probe

German police are investigating two young men after a humanoid robot allegedly groped a 16-year-old girl outside a fast-food restaurant in Cologne, with the incident reportedly captured on video and livestreamed on social media.

The teenager was with a group of friends in the western German city shortly before midnight on Saturday when the robot, standing around four feet tall, approached her, police said.According to the New York Post, the red-and-gold robot, designed to resemble Marvel superhero Iron Man, allegedly grabbed the girl and made movements that appeared to involve touching her.

Videos circulating online reportedly show the machine advancing towards the teenager as she screams and retreats.Police suspect the robot's 16-year-old owner and his 19-year-old companion of filming the incident, livestreaming it and making remarks while it unfolded, the New York Post reported.

The girl alerted the police, who later found the robot in the boot of a Volkswagen. Officers seized the device along with two mobile phones belonging to the suspects.Investigators are now trying to establish who was operating the robot at the time of the alleged assault. Both young men are under investigation, police said.