Top News: The man who was seen at the snooker championship biting into the child’s ear has come forward to say…
Days after police closed an investigation into a ‘creepy’ viral video showing a man appearing to grin after nibbling a young boy’s ear at the World Snooker Championship, the culprit has been identified.
Forklift truck operator Stefano Voci, 43, was caught on live TV nibbling a young boy’s ear as Stephen Hendry gave an interview on camera.
He stood by his actions, saying they were ‘normal’ to express affection towards a loved one.
The boy in the footage has been confirmed to be a relative of Voci’s, but has not been identified due to his age.
Voci, who was visiting relatives in Sheffield from his home near Milan, Italy, has since deleted his social media accounts.
He previously took to social media, where he said: ‘There are many clarifications to make but everything is in process (sic). I was just someone sharing love and affection like anyone else, that was exposed maliciously.’
He added: ‘My family are fine and closer than ever, I don’t care that my face is all over social media with photomontages and fake posts. Just leave my family alone. God bless you all and best wishes to you all.’
Members of his family have reportedly deleted their social media accounts as well.
When the clip emerged, social media users were quick to draw attention to Vocileaning down and whispering into the ear of the young boy.
He then looked to nibble on his lobe before sheepishly grinning as the boy waved to the camera.
Fans were alarmed by the clip, which has now amassed millions of views.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed it had been made aware of the footage and and said it was ‘reviewing the content’.
Police have now closed the case pending any further information that would warrant investigation.
A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Following review of the video, officers have determined no crime has been committed and the investigation has been filed.
A spokesperson for the World Snooker Tour said: ‘We are aware of this incident and it is now a police matter.’
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The bloke who was caught on camera nibbling a child’s ear at the World Snooker Championships is reportedly an Italian tourist named Stefano Voci, 43.
He defended his actions, which took place at The Crucible in Sheffield city centre and caused outrage among viewers watching seven-time World Snooker Championships winner Stephen Hendry analyse a live match.
It has now been revealed that the child is related to Mr Voci. The Italian national, who works as a forklift truck operator, took to social media to explain his actions, saying it was a normal way of showing affection towards a loved one.
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He wrote: “There are many clarifications to make but everything is in process. I was just someone sharing love and affection like anyone else, that was exposed maliciously.”
South Yorkshire Police had been investigating the incident but have since concluded their probe, stating “officers have determined no crime has been committed”.
In his post, Mr Voci, who was visiting relatives in Sheffield from his home near Milan, identified his relationship with the boy, which we are not disclosing to protect the youngster’s identity.
“My family are fine and closer than ever, I don’t care that my face is all over social media with photomontages and fake posts. Just leave my family alone. God bless you all and best wishes to you all,” stated Mr Voci.
The footage captured in April showed the boy noticing he was on camera, reacting with a smile and wave as the man retracted from the frame.
On realising he was being recorded, Mr Voci couldn’t help but let out a broad grin and bob his head entertainingly. South Yorkshire Police said earlier this week: “Following review of the video, officers have determined no crime has been committed and the investigation has been filed.”
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