ROCHESTER, NY — A man has been arrested following an investigation into reports of inappropriate contact with pedestrians on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus.
Mohammad S. Akbari, 33, of Rochester, was charged with forcible touching, a class A misdemeanor.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said it worked with the RIT Public Safety Department after receiving several reports of an individual making inappropriate comments and, in some cases, advancements toward pedestrians on campus walkways.
In some instances, the individual was wearing a bear costume, according to authorities.
No injuries were reported.
RIT Public Safety conducted several details and developed leads in the case, including locating a bear costume that had been disposed of on campus grounds, deputies said.
Deputies and RIT Public Safety gathered evidence from pedestrians involved over the past few days to develop a suspect.
Deputies located and interviewed Akbari on Thursday.
Akbari is not an RIT student.
Following his arrest, Akbari was banned from all RIT campuses and transported to Monroe County CAP Court to await arraignment.
