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Sri Lankan man asks tourist for sex, then masturbates in disturbing video; arrested later
A Sri Lankan man was arrested after he exposed himself to a woman travelling solo through the South Asian island nation.
A Sri Lankan man was arrested after he exposed himself to a woman travelling solo through the South Asian island nation. The woman — a tourist from New Zealand named Molly — captured on camera the man asking her for sex and then masturbating in front of her.
“During my solo tuk-tuk road trip across Sri Lanka, a man asked for sex and exposed himself to me,” Molly wrote while sharing the video on Instagram.
The disturbing incident in Sri Lanka
Molly was driving a tuk-tuk alone through the Thambiluvil area of east Sri Lanka on October 25 when she noticed a man following her on a scooter.
"He sped up to pass me, and as he passed me, he waved, and I waved back," she told 1News.
The man repeatedly overtook Molly and then slowed down, forcing the Kiwi tourist to pass him several times. When she stopped for a rest, he got down from his scooter and approached her.
“There was a bit of a language barrier, but he seemed friendly, so I let him try to talk to me,” she said in the video she shared on Instagram. “But then it quickly turned uncomfortable and he asked where I was staying, and I knew where it was going.”
Sri Lankan man exposes himself
The man spoke to Molly in broken English before asking for sex, which she denied. “I was like, 'okay, no, absolutely not', and I just got ready to drive away,” she said.
It was at this point that he exposed himself and began masturbating. “It was one of those moments that shakes you a bit, even when you think you’re prepared for anything,” Molly said.
The solo traveller immediately started her tuk-tuk and drove away.
"I wish I had reacted more firmly, but I was just in shock. I could not believe he asked me that question, and after I said no, he still had the audacity to expose himself to me like that," she said.
Police arrests Sri Lankan man
Molly shared the video on Instagram five days ago, from where it reached other platforms and collected millions of views. She approached the police after being encouraged by locals to report the incident.
The Tourism Division, working with Thirukkovil and Pottuvil police, managed to trace the accused and arrested him. The 25-year-old man was arrested on Saturday.
"At the time of his arrest, the suspect had reportedly altered his appearance and changed his residence in an attempt to evade capture," a statement read.
