Kentucky Reporter Who Was Kissed On Live TV By Stranger Files Police Report Against Her Harasser

Reporters filming remote segments are just trying to do their job like anyone else, but random passersby often think it's acceptable to jump into frame and act inappropriately for a quick laugh.

Sara Rivest was reporting on the Bourbon and Beyond festival when a stranger ran up to her while she was live and kissed her.

She is now pressing charges against the man, who police have charged with harassment.

Stranger Kissed Reporter on Live TV-youtu.be

After she concluded her segment, Rivest told InsideEdition she attempted to scold her harasser:

"I just started screaming at the man, 'You're so rude! You're so rude!' And he was long gone by then."

Rivest also spoke about how commonplace it is for people to jump into news broadcasts, thinking it will be funny.

"It's something people think of as funny, but it's really not that funny. It doesn't make that guy cool and it doesn't make some girl say, 'Oh wow, I want him.'"

After many instances dealing with similar behavior, Rivest decided she didn't want to let this one slide.

"I've re-watched it so many times and I stopped it at that point. And I pulled away so quickly, I think I was just shocked, to be honest. It was just such an uncomfortable situation."

"That's what bothers me so much about all of this. He knew I couldn't do anything about it. And in a way, it's like, an exertion of power because it's like, 'She can't stop me'."

Despite her on-camera chuckles after the incident occurred, Rivest wants to make it clear the man's behavior left her very uncomfortable.

"[I] didn't think it was funny. I think it came from a place of wanting the viewer to know I was OK, but also feeling so uncomfortable that I didn't know how else to react."

The reporter was so angry, in fact, that she later returned to the festival with the man's photo hoping to find and confront him.

"I actually went to Bourbon and Beyond that night and I, like, had his picture pulled up. Like if I see this guy, I'm gonna say something."

Police are investigating the incident and haven't yet identified the man in question.

Rivest, meanwhile, has been pleasantly surprised by the reaction from other men on social media.

"It's cool to see other guys ... like, 'This isn't OK' and 'I'm sorry, I apologize on behalf of all guys."

Consent is key, folks.

The book The Consent Guidebook: A Practical Approach to Consensual, Respectful, and Enthusiastic Interactions is available here.

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