MOSCOW, June 3 (UPI) -- A Russian court has ruled that a teen who is accused of theft can be treated as an adult based on the size of his genitals.

The teen, who claims to be 13, is accused of stealing a cellphone back in March. Tomas, who is from the Ukraine but came to Moscow to live with his aunt, denies taking the phone, the Moskovsky Komsomolets reported Tuesday.


There was apparently some dispute about the boy's age, so a medical examination of Tomas' teeth and genitals was conducted by prison doctors. After the examination, it was concluded that the boy is between 16 and 17 years old and therefore legally viewed as an adult. Based on that decision, the court was able to put Tomas behind bars.

Tomas' Ukrainian documentation reportedly indicates that he was 12 at the time of his arrest and the boy's case will be reviewed by the regional prison service.

The Moscow Times reported that the "age of criminal responsibility in Russia is 16," although it is lowered to 14 for crimes like rape and murder.