Sarah Hyland Groped by Fan, 'Modern Family' Star Reduced To Tears

By Emma Koonse, Christian Post Reporter Friday, February 21, 2014

Sarah Hyland of "Modern Family" was allegedly assaulted by a fan while at an event in Sydney, Australia on Thursday.

The 23-year-old actress agreed to pose for a photo with a male fan when he inappropriately touched her chest, according to E! News. Eyewitnesses said Hyland immediately defended herself by shouting, "Don't touch me there!" when security guards intervened, but the disturbing event left the star in tears.

Following the assault, police arrested the 29-year-old man at the scene under assault and act of indecency charges, according to South Wales police via the Sydney Morning Herald. The man is now out on bail, but ordered to return to court on March 14.

Hyland and the rest of the "Modern Family" cast have been filming scenes for a holiday episode Down Under. While Hyland's cast mates continued to pose with fans at Thursday's event, the actress apologized for her abrupt departure and explained the incident.

"Sorry to all the fans outside the #quantas event that I didn't get to say hi to but I had to leave due to an inappropriate touch of a fan," the actress posted to Twitter.

Alternately, Hyland's boyfriend, actor Matt Prokop, had stronger things to say on Twitter.

"To the… who assaulted Sarah tonight I hope to God you don't see next week," he wrote. "All Sarah wanted to do tonight was say hi to the girls who were waiting outside and one douche can ruin it for everyone. Goodnight."

Prokop's tweet set off a firestorm of comments on Twitter, leading the actor to add, "I'm done with Twitter. Yes I believe someone who sexually assaults a woman or man for the matter deserves a sh—life. Piss off twitter."

Meanwhile, Hyland appears to be in better spirits today. The actress shared photos taken from the beach, including one of her "Modern Family" co-star, Sofia Vergara.