Mario Batali to face charges in Boston for alleged groping incident

Celebrity chef Mario Batali will face a criminal charge in Boston for allegedly kissing and groping a woman in the city in 2017 — the first charge to be brought against him since a number of women accused him of sexual misconduct, according to authorities and a report.

Batali will be arraigned on Friday morning on indecent assault and battery charges stemming from the incident, which allegedly happened in a restaurant in the Back Bay, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County DA’s office said.

Batali, 52, could face more than two years in jail if he’s convicted of the crime, the Boston Globe reported. He would also have to register as a sex offender.

His accuser was not identified by prosecutors on Wednesday, but the Globe reported it matches the accusation of woman who sued Batali in civil court.

The woman claims Batali forcibly kissed her, grabbed her chest and touched her groin after he noticed her taking a photo of him at the restaurant.

The chef’s culinary empire was upended in December 2017 when Batali was publicly accused of forcing himself on two women in separate incidents inside a pair of New York restaurants, one of which he owned.

Batali has stated that he did not recall the alleged attacks, but did not deny them and profusely apologized.

The NYPD and Manhattan District Attorney’s Office jointly decided in January that there was not enough evidence to charge Batali.

When reached by The Post Wednesday night, Batali declined to comment.

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