An unemployed man with a criminal history of fraud, robbery and causing bodily harm was arrested on Friday for the sexual coercion of a woman in her flat on Thursday, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Choi Ian Fai said during a regular press conference yesterday.

The 26-year-old local suspect is surnamed Tou. Choi pointed out that Tou has been involved in a number of criminal cases since 2016 and is awaiting trial.

According to Choi, the victim, who is in her thirties and lives alone in a flat in Rua da Praia do Manduco, reported to the police on Thursday that she had met Tou through a smartphone app a few months ago. Tou had invited her several times to go out for evening drinks but she had turned him down each time. Only recently did she have breakfast with Tou who offered to walk her home afterwards.

Choi said Tou sent a text the victim on Thursday morning saying that he wanted to see her. Soon afterwards she heard someone banging on her door and she realised that Tou was outside her flat. In order to stop the noise which might disturb her neighbours, she opened the door and let Tou in.

As soon as Tou entered the victim’s flat, he dragged her into her bedroom, kissed her and touched her upper body against her will. The victim managed to push Tou away and phoned the police. Tou got scared and ran away, according to Choi.

Choi said Tou was intercepted on Friday evening when he was at the Barrier Gate checkpoint before leaving Macau for Zhuhai. Tou denied committing the crime and claimed that he had merely had a relationship dispute with the woman. However, the victim told the police that they were not lovers.

Tou was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Saturday, faces a sexual coercion charge, according to Choi.