Man arrested for groping Spanish reporter on live TV

A man was arrested for sexual assault for groping a Spanish reporter on live TV.

Isa Balado, a reporter for Cuatro, was detailing a Madrid robbery on Tuesday when a man wearing sunglasses approached her from behind and grabbed her, video of the incident showed. As Balado tried to continue the segment, anchor Nacho Abad asked what happened and told her to get the “idiot” on camera. She then confronted him about groping her, which he denied before touching her head and walking away.

The Spanish national police later said the man had been arrested and posted a short video of a person in handcuffs being escorted by two officers on social media. The suspect was arrested for “sexually assaulting a reporter while she was doing a live television show,” said the Policía Nacional.

Mediaset Espana, the owner of the news channel, stated it “categorically repudiates any form of harassment or aggression. We fully support Isa Balado, reporter for ‘En boca de todos,’ after the absolutely intolerable situation she has suffered today.”

The incident came weeks after Luis Rubiales, the ex-president of Spain’s soccer federation, kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent when the team won the Women’s World Cup. Rubiales was widely criticized and eventually resigned. He was also summoned to a Spanish court to testify about the incident.