A dad groped Princess Fiona when he took his wife and two kids to a Shrek-themed attraction - grabbing the bum of the young actress playing her and planting a kiss on her neck.
IT engineer Srinivas Boreddy, 36, told police: "She looked very good" and now claims he was trying to break the awkward silence with a UK-style greeting he observed during his short time in the country.
The young actress, aged in her twenties, who was playing the character - Shrek's love-interest in the hit movie franchise - agreed to a friendly hug, but was left in tears and says she was "shocked" and "violated" by Boreddy's grope.
Indian-born Boreddy, of Pleasant Place, Barker Lane, Chesterfield, Derbyshire pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the woman at Shrek's Adventure!, County Hall, Southbank, London on October 25.
Today at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court he was sentenced to a twelve-month community order, which includes 150 hours community service work and was ordered to pay £85 costs, a £60 victim surcharge, a £180 court charge and £50 compensation to the victim.
Prosecutor Mr. Edward Aydin told the court: "This is a sexual assault on a children's character, Princess Fiona. The victim is a female actress playing that role in a family amusement park."
The victim was in charge of a magical bus ride Boreddy wanted to take his wife and two children, aged eight and two-and-a-half years-old on, but he had to wait with the youngest because the child was too small.
"He then came back alone to go on the bus ride and the victim, Princess Fiona, is standing there and she said he had to wait a few minutes.
"Then all of a sudden, without any provocation from the Princess, he's asked for a hug.
"The victim thought it was unusual, but agreed and all of a sudden, during the course of the hug, Boreddy grabs both the victim's bottom cheeks in that encounter then pulls the Princess into his groin area forcefully."
The victim told police: "I felt no erection," and Mr. Aydin added: "He could have had one as the coat is quite thick, the coat she wears as part of the costume.
"He also leant down and tried to kiss the cheeks on her face and as she moved away to avoid the kiss on the cheek he managed to kiss her on the neck, a small bite, she says.
"His thick moustache also brushed her neck and caused a rash and some small irritation, slight scarring, she says, and some pain.
"She was extremely shocked, she says, extremely violated.
"No one would expect a character in a children's theme park to be sexually assaulted at 2pm on a Sunday. He's come back alone to target the Princess.
"For this type of activity he should be ashamed of what he has done.
"She's just doing her job and and not expecting someone to kiss her and touch her on the bottom."
Boreddy, who speaks Telugu, a tongue common to south-eastern Andhra Pradesh, India and needed an interpreter, arrived in the UK on a work visa in July and has a £2,000-plus a month position.
Probation officer Patrick Acres told the court: "I get a sense of his lack of experience being outside his native India.
"Before the offence he had made the observation that people on the Underground greeted each other with hugs and a kiss on the cheek."
Boreddy claims he only returned to go on the ride and had not targeted the victim.
"He said the operator told him to wait and she was staring at him, he felt…..Mr. Boreddy felt there was an uncomfortableness of being there with this woman and not communicating," explained Mr. Acres.
"In his words he said: 'I thought I should introduce myself to her', bearing in mind a hug and a kiss is how he believes we introduce ourselves.
"He asked her first, but she was not expecting that. The only person he hugged and kissed before was his wife.
"He was not aware of the touching of the bottom. It was very clumsy.
"He said at the time of the hug she shied away and said: 'This isn't how you should be hugging'."
The teetotal post-graduate then spent six hours in police custody while his wife and kids travelled home.
"I don't believe there was a sexual intent at making a pass at the woman."
Boreddy's lawyer Mr. Denney Lau said: "He's not had a good night's sleep ever since. This matter was reported in the national press and there have been various unkind comments made by others on the internet."
Boreddy has been hurt by online user comments such as "pervert", "vile" and "go back to your own country.'
"He's ashamed of himself, for what has happened and is worried about his work and it has caused stress in the relationship with his partner and impacted the children.
"He accepts he went over the top."
Sentencing the first-time offender magistrate Mr. Tim Cohen said: "We know you're full of remorse for what happened."
A dad groped Princess Fiona when he took his wife and two kids to a Shrek-themed attraction - grabbing the bum of the young actress playing her and planting a kiss on her neck.
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