Buttock Pinch Without Consent Is Ruled a Crime in New York

Pinching or touching the buttocks of a person without that person’s consent is a crime in New York and punishable by a jail term, a Manhattan Criminal Court judge has ruled.

“If the alleged occurrence had in fact taken place in an area where the social mores condone the unconsented touching or pinching of the buttocks – rumor has it that Italy may be such an area – perhaps the defendant’s position could be sustained.”

Sexual abuse in the third degree is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail.

Excerpt from Tom Goldstein New York Times Nov 19, 1977