SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police are searching for a man who molested a female player of Pokemon Go as she commuted home by bicycle in Yoshikawa City, reports the Saitama Shimbun (July 31).
At around 12:55 a.m. on Sunday, the man approached the woman, aged in her 20s, from behind by bicycle as she played the popular smartphone game and fondled the upper-half of her body. The suspect then fled the scene.
According to the Yoshikawa Police Station, the man is believed to be aged in his 20s. He was wearing a black short-sleeve t-shirt and shorts.
Police are searching for the man on suspicion of assault.
Playing and riding
At the time of the incident, the woman was steering her bicycle with one hand and playing Pokemon Go with the other. Since the launch of the game last month, police nationwide have issued hundreds of citations to players of the game for simultaneously operating bicycles, motorcycles and passenger vehicles.
A representative of the Saitama police said that players caught up in the game can unexpectedly become hazards to those around them and themselves. “When playing the game outdoors, we want each player to enjoy it in a safe place,” the representative is quoted.