A 17-year-old girl was watching a movie in an Illinois theatre when a man sat next to her and groped her, prosecutors said.
Delbert Patterson, 62, “used his right hand to stroke the victim’s left thigh and left buttocks,” according to a DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office news release dated July 1.
The teen told her father about the interaction, and two bystanders chased Patterson down, preventing him from fleeing the York Theatre in Elmhurst, according to prosecutors.
“It is alleged that Mr Patterson’s behaviour caused what should have been an enjoyable night out at the movies to devolve into an unacceptable violation of the victim’s personal space and body,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin stated in a press release.
Bystanders held the man until police arrived and arrested him, officials said.
Patterson, of Chicago, faces one count of aggravated battery in a public place, according to prosecutors.
According to prosecutors, he appeared in court and was released, with his next court date scheduled for July 28.
Elmhurst is about 20 miles west of downtown Chicago.
