British rapper and YouTube personality Yung Filly, aka Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, has been arrested in Australia over rape and assault charges.
After his arrest, he was produced in a court in Perth, and his bail plea has been contested because the YouTuber has a very large media following and financial resources, could influence the witnesses and also could abscond since he is a citizen of the U.K. The bail decision is pending, as is the plea to restrict social media activity.
Yung Filly Detained in Australia Over Rape and Assault Charges
The British rapper was arrested in Brisbane and extradited to Perth after he was charged with sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s at his hotel. The incident happened after the rapper had performed at Bar120, a nightclub in Perth’s northern suburbs, on September 28.
The rapper has been charged with four counts of sexual penetration without consent, one count of choking a person, and three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
Yung Filly is represented by Perth barrister Seamus Rafferty SC. Barrientos has applied for bail during his appearance at the Perth Magistrates Court.
The bail plea has been opposed by WA police prosecution led by Julius Depetro because the case against Yung Filly is very strong and there is irrefutable evidence in the form of CCTV footage and photographic evidence.
The prosecution also highlighted the fact that Barrientos has a media following more than 8 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, and there is every possibility of the witnesses being influenced. The prosecutors also stated that the accused had huge financial clout, with reported earnings of around $700,000 from his social media platforms.
The prosecutors also highlighted the fact that Barrientos had no ties to Western Australia and that he resides in the UK, and the risk of him fleeing the country is very high. Barrientos’ influence and wealth made standard protective bail conditions inadequate.
However, Barrientos’ attorney, Rafferty, contended that his client’s fame and fortune are not benchmarks upon which different bail conditions can be enforced, and everyone must be treated equally.
Barrientos’ attorney, Rafferty, also suggested a $100,000 surety and measures like banning posts about the case on social media.
The prosecutor’s request for a complete social media ban was opposed by Rafferty because his client relies on it for his income.
As of today, Magistrate Tanya Watt has consented to a request to have a written submission instead of having the facts read aloud. The judge also ruled that the bail petition will be studied later this afternoon.
