Hong Kong police have detained a man on suspicion of indecently assaulting a teenage girl on a double-decker bus, after the incident was caught on camera and went viral online.

Police said over the weekend that the man, a 65-year-old hardware salesman surnamed Wu, was arrested on Friday night at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge boundary crossing as he attempted to re-enter the city from mainland China, following the alleged assault which took place earlier on that day.

A viral video clip on Friday afternoon showed a male bus passenger on the upper deck reaching his arm toward the armpit of a woman sitting directly in front of him.

The clip, which was filmed by a bystander from the street level, showed the woman shifting away from his arm, but the man did not withdraw. The netizen who uploaded the clip said in a comment that the incident occurred at around 12.10pm on Friday aboard a Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) Route 16 service travelling between Lam Tin and Mong Kok. The clip prompted a swift investigation by the police.

Suspect denied bail

Police Inspector Wan Ka-nam said during a media briefing on Saturday that officers contacted the victim, a Secondary Form three student, via her school, adding that the suspect was a stranger to the victim.

“At the time of the incident, the victim had just finished her classes and was taking the bus home. The victim was frightened by the incident and did not immediately report it to the police,” Wan said in Cantonese.

“The force will maintain close contact with the family of the victim and her school, so as to offer appropriate assistance to the victim,” Wan added.

Using its SmartView CCTV system, police identified the suspect, who left the city after the incident and was arrested that night at the boundary crossing, Wan said.

The suspect has been denied bail and will be brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts to face one count of indecent assault, Wan said.

After the clip went viral on social media on Friday, KMB said it was extremely concerned and was cooperating with a police investigation, according to local media.

The bus operator urged passengers to seek immediate help from staff or call the police if they encounter similar situations.