She claims he molested her during sex mob attacks in Cologne on NYE

An asylum seeker who allegedly sexually assaulted a teenager during the mob-like attacks in Cologne on New Years Eve has been arrested after his 'victim' spotted him on TV.

The Moroccan man, only identified as Taoufik M., 33, appeared on a program about his Fagin-style life heading a gang of pickpockets.

His alleged teenage victim saw him on television and recognised him as the man she claims molested her in the west German city.

Caught out: The Moroccan man, only identified as Taoufik M., 33, appeared in a TV report titled 'King of the pickpockets' when he was recognised by his alleged victim

More than 5 million people in Germany watched the exclusive Spiegel TV report entitled 'King of the pickpockets'.

One of them, a teenager from Cologne, later said it had left her speechless - after she claims she recognised him as the man who had put his hand under her skirt on New Year's Eve.

The woman had spoken of her shock at being surrounded by a gang of foreigners and said that the man she later recognised on the TV had put his hand under her skirt.

She claims she had been targeted by the man and assaulted, but managed to break free.

She says he had then chased her and again repeated the assault, before threatening to hit her when she struggled, but that he had been stopped by other men who were with him.

His alleged victim, a teenage girl, saw him during his television appearance, and recognised him as the man she claims molested her during the mob-like attacks in Cologne on New Years Eve (pictured)

In the interview, Taoufik M. claimed that he had been forced into a life of crime because of his upbringing and only stole to feed himself.

However, police has identified him as the boss of a gang of North African thieves and pickpockets who has been arrested 22 times by police for crimes ranging from grievous bodily harm through to organised thievery.

At the end of last year, he was given a seven-month suspended sentence for organised theft because of his control of the pickpocketing game.

His alleged sexual assault victim has now reported him to police, he has since been arrested and is now in custody.

A police spokesman said the man was well-known by the special investigations unit looking at North African crime in Germany known as 'Soko Casablanca'.

In the interview talking about his life in Germany he said he had been in the country for two years, and before that had lived in Italy.

Police spokesman Markus Niesczery said: 'We're really pleased that the woman recognised the man on television and that she is prepared to testify against him.