Aman Bhatia told officers he had broken his glasses and couldn’t see clearly, causing him to unintentionally touch people in the Disney water park.
ORLANDO, FLA.—An Indo-American man has been accused of groping six people, including teenagers, at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park in Florida.
According to news reports, one of the victims told Orange County Sheriff’s deputies she and 27-year-old Aman Bhatia were in the wave pool Sunday. She says that as waves crashed over her, she felt Bhatia’s hands all over her body.
Another victim says she was in the wave pool when Bhatia grabbed her waist from behind. She was able to break loose from his grasp, but he grabbed her again.
Four others reported similar incidents to authorities.
Bhatia, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told officers he had broken his glasses and couldn’t see clearly, causing him to unintentionally touch people.
Another teenage victim reported that Bhatia grabbed her buttocks and followed her as she swam.
When the victim left the pool, she allegedly saw Bhatia touch one of her friends as a wave was breaking.
Witnesses observed Bhatia moving around the wave pool and looking around to “make sure no one was between himself and the victim,” the arrest report said.
With the help of a group of friends, a fourth victim said she was able to shake free of Bhatia who had allegedly grabbed her waist and twice tried to pull her towards him.
The pool perverts’ touching came to an end when victims alerted Bhatia to lifeguards and police were called.
Bhatia, 27, a citizen of India, has denied the allegations. In arrest reports obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, police stated that Bhatia told them “his vision was fuzzy since he did not have his glasses on” and that “everyone was bumping into each other and having fun but he never intentionally touched anyone or grabbed any ladies breasts or buttocks.”
Bhatia was charged with four counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim under 16 and two counts of battery. He posted bond at the Orange County Jail and was released.
Disney has banned Bhatia from its parks.
