Man arrested for allegedly groping 13-year-old girl in Swampscott Starbucks

A man was arrested Monday for allegedly groping a 13-year-old girl in a Swampscott Starbucks.

Fred Hyyoot, 43, of Swampscott, was charged with indecent assault and battery on a person younger than 14.

Police said the victim called 911 to report the assault from a Panera Bread across the street from the Starbucks where she had reunited with her mother.

Police said the victim, who was 13 years old, was visibly upset, and that it took a while for her to calm down.

She then told police that a man, later identified as Hyyoot, had walked up behind her, grabbed her buttocks, and moved it up and down while rubbing her lower back.

Police said they were impressed that the victim had taken a picture of the man who had assaulted her, which helped police identify him.

Starbucks employees told police that they had seen Hyyoot follow the victim out of the Starbucks and across the street, but that he instead entered a Walgreens when he saw that the victim had met up with her mother.

Police found Hyyoot in the Walgreens and had the victim positively ID him before he was arrested.

After facing the charge in Lynn District Court on Tuesday, Hyyoot was sent by a judge to Tewksbury State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, police said.

Police said Hyyoot was known to Swampscott police because he had caused a number of disturbances in the town over the past couple weeks.

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