NEW YORK CITY — Police in New York City said one of Times Square's costumed characters is accused of touching a teenage girl inappropriately.
According to authorities, the 14-year-old girl had just snapped a photo with a man dressed as Elmo from "Sesame Street" when he grabbed her buttocks.
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"It's fine for it to be quirky, but we don't we want it to be creepy," said Tim Tompkins, the president of the Times Square Alliance.
Police said Inocente Andrade-Pacheco, 54, was charged with forcible touching and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
"Certain of the characters feel like they can get away with just about anything," Tompkins told WPIX. "It's a little crazy. A lot of stuff going on."
In 2016, the city council moved to regulate the "Crossroads of the World" after a string of controversies, from topless women to a fighting Spider-Man.
They created designated zones for the characters to take pictures with tourists and ask for tips.
But to get people into those zones, "There have been many, many times when people are touched without consent because that's essentially how some, not all, of the costume characters rope people in," said Tompkins.