NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Man who hit reporter's backside on live TV is arrested on sexual battery charge

By Katie Mettler
Washington Post·
14 Dec, 2019 07:49 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
    • subtitles off, selected

      This is a modal window.

      Playback Denied: Unavailable

      Error Code: VIDEO_CLOUD_ERR_VIDEO_NOT_PLAYABLE
      Technical details :
      Video is not currently available for playback.
      Session ID: 2025-07-23:2ee3bac737e2a20bfeac7fce Player Element ID: vjs_video_6115189439001

      Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

      Text
      Text Background
      Caption Area Background
      Font Size
      Text Edge Style
      Font Family

      End of dialog window.

      This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

      All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan and winger Sevu Reece ahead of the third test

      UP NEXT:

      Tommy Callaway owns up to slapping Alex Bozarjian over the weekend and wants to apologise. Video / WSAV3

      The Georgia man who was captured on video swatting at the backside of a female reporter while she spoke on live TV has been arrested on a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery, according to police records.

      A week ago, Alex Bozarjian, a reporter for NBC affiliate WSAV-TV, was standing along the route for the Savannah Bridge Run and reporting on the race's atmosphere when a man smacked her behind as he ran by. Bozarjian was visibly shaken and fell silent for a few moments, video of the incident shows.

      Hours later, Bozarjian addressed the matter on Twitter.

      "You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me," she wrote. "No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better. "

      The man was eventually identified as 43-year-old Thomas Callaway of Statesboro, Georgia, who went to Bozarjian's TV station to offer an on-camera apology that aired Tuesday evening, reported the Associated Press.

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.
      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "It was an awful act and an awful mistake," Callaway said, explaining that he intended to pat Bozarjian on the back or shoulder and did not realize he had violated her in a sexual way until he saw the video.

      By then, Bozarjian had already filed a report with the Savannah Police Department. On Friday afternoon, authorities arrested Callaway, according to jail records.

      "It's not OK to help yourself to a woman's body just because you feel like it," Bozarjian said during an interview with "CBS This Morning." "It's not playful. "

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      "I think in order to make any kind of change, you have to be a little bit drastic," Bozarjian said. "You have to, kind of, chip away at this toxic culture that permeates our society. "

      Joseph Turner, a lawyer for Callaway, told "CBS This Morning" that Callaway was a "loving husband and father" who "did not act with any criminal intentions."

      Bozarjian told CBS that the most important thing to her was not Callaway's intentions, but the message his actions sent.

      "He took my power, and I'm trying to take that back," Bozarjian told CBS.

      Discover more

      Athletics

      Reporter lashes out at live TV groper

      09 Dec 09:00 PM
      Entertainment

      Cosby loses sex crime appeal

      10 Dec 07:37 PM
      World

      Saudi Arabia lifts gender segregation rules

      10 Dec 09:10 PM
      World

      Weinstein and his accusers reach tentative $37 million deal

      11 Dec 07:55 PM
      Alex Bozarjian was visibly shocked after the man slapped her. Photo / Twitter
      Alex Bozarjian was visibly shocked after the man slapped her. Photo / Twitter

      In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Robert Wells, director of the Savannah Sports Council, said in a statement to The Washington Post that Callaway had been banned from registering in any other races organized by his group. Wells said his council and Enmarket, the race's title sponsor, "take this matter extremely seriously and fully condemn this individual's actions. "

      Bozarjian's TV station said in a statement to the Associated Press Friday that Callaway's conduct was "reprehensible and completely unacceptable. "

      "No one should ever be disrespected in this manner," the WSAV-TV statement said. "The safety and protection of our employees is WSAV-TV's highest priority. "

      This article was first published in the Washington Post.

      Save
        Share this article

      Latest from Entertainment

      Entertainment

      First Kiwi to make Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team responds to ponytail backlash

      Entertainment

      The 10 most career-defining, headline-grabbing moments of rocker Ozzy Osbourne

      Entertainment

      Julia Roberts, Jude Law to feature at star-packed Venice Film Festival


      Sponsored

      Sponsored: 50 shades of beige

      Advertisement
      Advertise with NZME.

      Recommended for you

      'Torches' and 'pitchforks': Turbulence in council water debate
      Rotorua Daily Post

      'Torches' and 'pitchforks': Turbulence in council water debate

      SPCA speaks out as trend of dumping pets at its entrance in winter grows
      Hawkes Bay Today

      SPCA speaks out as trend of dumping pets at its entrance in winter grows

      The $70m property sale that could save harness racing 
      Racing

      The $70m property sale that could save harness racing 

      Rare disorder derails young footballer’s US dreams
      Bay of Plenty Times

      Rare disorder derails young footballer’s US dreams

      Herald Hat-trick sports quiz: July 24
      Sport

      Herald Hat-trick sports quiz: July 24

      Person dead, child hospitalised with burns after New Plymouth house fire
      New Zealand

      Person dead, child hospitalised with burns after New Plymouth house fire



      Latest from Entertainment

      First Kiwi to make Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team responds to ponytail backlash
      Entertainment

      First Kiwi to make Dallas Cowboys cheerleading team responds to ponytail backlash

      Faith Ward's ponytail has sparked online debate because of the team's strict hair rules.

      23 Jul 08:23 AM
      The 10 most career-defining, headline-grabbing moments of rocker Ozzy Osbourne
      Entertainment

      The 10 most career-defining, headline-grabbing moments of rocker Ozzy Osbourne

      23 Jul 08:09 AM
      Julia Roberts, Jude Law to feature at star-packed Venice Film Festival
      Entertainment

      Julia Roberts, Jude Law to feature at star-packed Venice Film Festival

      23 Jul 02:27 AM


      Sponsored: 50 shades of beige
      Sponsored

      Sponsored: 50 shades of beige

      21 Jul 07:08 AM

      NZ Herald
      • About NZ Herald
      • Meet the journalists
      • Newsletters
      • Classifieds
      • Help & support
      • Contact us
      • House rules
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of use
      • Competition terms & conditions
      • Our use of AI
      Subscriber Services
      • NZ Herald e-editions
      • Daily puzzles & quizzes
      • Manage your digital subscription
      • Manage your print subscription
      • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
      • Subscribe to Herald Premium
      • Gift a subscription
      • Subscriber FAQs
      • Subscription terms & conditions
      • Promotions and subscriber benefits
      NZME Network
      • The New Zealand Herald
      • The Northland Age
      • The Northern Advocate
      • Waikato Herald
      • Bay of Plenty Times
      • Rotorua Daily Post
      • Hawke's Bay Today
      • Whanganui Chronicle
      • Viva
      • NZ Listener
      • Newstalk ZB
      • BusinessDesk
      • OneRoof
      • Driven Car Guide
      • iHeart Radio
      • Restaurant Hub
      NZME
      • About NZME
      • NZME careers
      • Advertise with NZME
      • Digital self-service advertising
      • Book your classified ad
      • Photo sales
      • NZME Events
      • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
      TOP
      search by queryly Advanced Search