German police have seized a remote-controlled robot as part of an investigation into alleged sexual harassment in Cologne. Authorities are examining an incident in which the robot reportedly made inappropriate physical contact and sexual gestures toward a young woman.

Police responded to the incident in the western German city overnight from Saturday into Sunday. Investigators suspect that two young men, aged 16 and 19, operated the robot and filmed the incident. They allegedly streamed the footage online while commenting on what was happening.

Cologne police spokesperson Christoph Bermel confirmed that the two men have not been charged but remain suspects. Investigators are now trying to determine whether the robot’s movements were programmed in advance or controlled remotely in real time.

Bermel said the incident presented an unfamiliar situation for local authorities. He described it as new territory for police, who had not previously encountered this type of case.

Emergency teams dispatched to the scene near a fast-food restaurant found the robot inside the trunk of a vehicle, according to a police statement released on Monday. Officers subsequently confiscated the robot and the mobile phones belonging to both men.

North Rhine-Westphalia Police Cologne also shared an image of the seized robot on Facebook. The machine stands approximately 120 centimetres tall and features a red-and-gold design. It was dressed in a white tank top and black sweatpants, with a gold chain, sunglasses and what appeared to be a fake mustache.

Videos circulating online show two young men escorting the robot along a busy nighttime street. The footage appears to show the machine approaching a group of women, bumping into one person and hugging others. In another part of the footage, one of the men repeatedly shouts at the robot and pulls it backward after it makes sexual gestures.

Meanwhile, police have also addressed inappropriate online reactions to the incident. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, officers criticized comments that made light of the situation. They warned that sharing such material or treating alleged harassment as a joke could worsen its impact on the person affected.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities examine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the role of the two suspects.