A female powerlifter says she slugged a man in the face after he grabbed her bottom on the street and scoffed that she 'probably liked it'.

Leanna Carr, from Colorado, said she was walking in Dublin last week when the man came up from behind and groped her in broad daylight.

The 26-year-old said he 'laughed hysterically' when she spun around in shock and said 'you're an American, you probably liked it'.

Leanne Carr, 26, says she slugged a man in the face after he grabbed her bottom on the street and scoffed that she 'probably liked it'

Ms Carr shared photos of her bruised knuckles on social media from where she hit the sexual harasser hard on the cheekbone

'Apparently travelling solo has made me a better person because my first reaction was to punch him in the face,' she said of her response.

Ms Carr shared photos of her bruised knuckles on social media from where she hit the sexual harasser hard on the cheekbone.

Despite sporting an enviable figure and rippling muscles, the 139lb athlete said she hadn't punched someone before and was 'never a violent person'.

After delivering the stunning blow, the fitness model angrily yelled 'don't ever touch a girl like that again, I could get you arrested'.

Ms Carr said the man 'laughed hysterically' when she spun around in shock and said 'you're an American, you probably liked it'

Despite sporting an enviable figure and rippling muscles, the 139lb athlete said she hadn't punched someone before and was 'never a violent person'

The man became angry at this outburst and Ms Carr feared he may punch her back, but an older couple intervened and shooed him away.

Ms Carr was on her second day of a three-week solo trip across Europe and initially felt guilty for punching the man.

'My first reaction was a little guilt, wondering if I had done the right thing in the situation,' she told the Irish Independent.

'I don't think violence is always the answer, and I did get lucky that the altercation didn't end up badly for me.'

After delivering the stunning blow, the fitness model angrily yelled 'don't ever touch a girl like that again, I could get you arrested'

Ms Carr was on her second day of a three-week solo trip across Europe and initially felt guilty for punching the man

She said she had more confidence to stand up for herself on a busy street and probably would have reacted differently if she was alone with him in a dark alley.

Ms Carr said she was shaken and wanted to go back to the U.S. but friendlier Irish people made her trip a memorable one.

'Traveling solo throughout Europe has been one of the most amazing and empowering experiences of my life,' she wrote a few days later.