molest
v.to touch someone in a sexual way without their permission. This word is very serious and usually describes a crime.
v.to touch or handle another person in a sexual or indecent manner without their consent. Often used in legal contexts to describe a specific category of sexual assault.
“The police are investigating the man for molesting a child.”
“The suspect was arrested after several victims came forward to report that he had molest them during the festival.”
“The legal team argued that the evidence was insufficient to prove the defendant had intended to molest the victim, focusing instead on the lack of prior contact between the two parties.”
“In the claims surrounding the separate abuse of a boy, Dott is said to have made sexual remarks, entered a bathroom and watched him shower and also molested him.”
“Berry-Dee denounced the suggestion that he molested Sasha as “unfounded” and a “very spiteful allegation, probably engineered by her mother”.”
From Middle English molesten, from Old French molester, from Latin molestō (“to trouble, annoy, molest”), from molestus (“troublesome”), from moles (“a burden, difficulty, labor, trouble”); see mole.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.