Republican politician Christopher von Keyserling 'grabs woman by the p***y' because 'he doesn't have to be PC anymore'

Incident was a 'playful gesture', his lawyer says

Chris von Keyserling was arrested at Greenwich Town hall after the alleged assault (Google)

An American politician has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly admitting to grabbing a woman's crotch.

Chris von Keyserling, a 71-year-old Republican council member in Greenwich, Connecticut, admitted to the "little pinch" and claimed it was a joke, his arrest warrant said.

The veteran politician had been arguing with the woman beforehand, telling her that he "no longer [had] to be politically correct", it added.

The council employee had told him: "This is a new world [politically] and you need to educate your fellow politicians".

When she responded that she couldn't help him if he was "proud of that", he called the woman a "lazy, bloodsucking union employee", the warrant said.

The 57-year-old then swore at him and walked away, but Mr von Keyserling then followed her into her office, where he said he wanted to speak to her colleague, the warrant said.

Her colleague said she was too busy to speak and walked out.

When his alleged victim tried to follow her co-worker, Mr von Keyserling allegedly "reached between her legs from behind and pinched her in the groin area", the warrant said.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then told him he was lucky she didn't "deck" him, meaning knock him to the ground with a punch.

Mr von Keyserling “looked back with a really evil look in his eyes and said, ‘It would be your word against mine and nobody will believe you,” the woman told police.

After council staff made Mr Keyserling aware of the allegations and told to stay away from the woman, he said he was sorry that he pinched her and that "it has gotten this out of hand", the warrant said.

Mr Keyserling also characterised the incident as a "little pinch" and claimed it was a joke, it added.

Describing it as "playful gesture, in front of witnesses," Mr von Keyserling's lawyer, Phil Russell, told Greenwich Time newspaper: "It was too trivial to be considered anything of significance. To call it a sexual assault is not based in reality.”

Mr von Keyserling was released after his $2,500 (£2,060) bail was posted. He will appear in court later this month.