Who Is Christopher Von Keyserling? Republican Politician From Connecticut Arrested For Grabbing Woman's Groin

A Republican member of the Representative Town Meeting in Greenwich, Connecticut, was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault after he was caught on a security camera pinching the genitals of a woman during a verbal disagreement over President-elect Donald Trump. Christopher von Keyserling, aged 71, of 402 Post Road E., was arrested in Greenwich Town Hall on Wednesday afternoon. He was released after posting a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 25.

According to the Daily Voice, the incident took place around noon Dec. 9, when von Keyserling encountered the 57-year-old woman in the hallway of an unnamed town facility. As explained in the warrant, the woman told him he had to educate his fellow politicians since "it was a new world politically." He allegedly replied: "I love this new world, I no longer have to be politically correct." The conversation soon became unpleasant and abusive, after which von Keyserling followed the woman into her office where he allegedly reached between her legs and "pinched her groin area."

According to the warrant, she threatened to punch him if he ever repeated the action. She added he "looked back with a really evil look in his eyes" and said: "it would be your word against mine and nobody will believe you."

The incident is being seen in light of Trump's "locker room talk" affair where the president-elect joked about grabbing women "by their pussy." von Keyserling's defense attorney Phil Russell described his client's behavior as a "playful" joke.

Russell said the charges against von Keyserling were unbelievable and outrageous, and that he only "playfully gave a lady who he knew for 30 years a pinch and somehow, everybody's wringing their hands and carrying on that this is a crime, and it just isn't. It was too trivial to be considered anything of significance. To call it a sexual assault is not based in reality" News 12 Connecticut reported.