Popular UK YouTuber arrested over Perth rap show rape allegations
Updated October 10, 2024 — 11.50am
Famous UK YouTuber and rapper Yung Filly is facing years behind bars, or the possibility of being stuck in Western Australia on bail, after being accused of raping a woman after a Perth show last month.
Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos performed at Bar1 in Hillarys on September 27, before continuing his tour in Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast. He was arrested in Queensland and extradited to WA on Wednesday night.
Andres Barrientos, also known as Yung Filly, has been charged with multiple sexual assault offences.
Barrientos has been charged with four counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, and one count of impeding a person’s breathing after allegedly assaulting a woman in his hotel room after the Hillarys show.
He could be forced to remain in WA while he fights the accusations, and may not be able to communicate with his millions of followers via social media if prosecutors have their way.
Appearing in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday morning, Barrientos spoke to confirm his name and that he understood his charges.
Police prosecutors opposed bail due to the serious nature of the allegations, strong evidence including CCTV, and the possibility Barrientos would interfere with a witness.
They expressed concerns there was a significant power imbalance, given Barrientos’ social media influence and large body of followers.
Barrientos boasts 3.2 million followers on Instagram and more than 1.8 million on YouTube.
“This is no ordinary person where interference with witnesses can be mitigated by bail conditions,” the police prosecutor told the court.
They also said Barrientos was a flight risk as he had access to millions of dollars, financial support, was from the UK with no other link to WA, and that more charges may arise.
Barrientos’ defence lawyer Seamus Rafferty requested a suppression order on his client’s name being published, stating it would jeopardise his right to a fair trial.
However, journalists in court objected to this request, and no orders were imposed.
Rafferty said his client should be treated the same as any other accused despite his status, and there was a possibility that if he wasn’t granted bail, Barrientos would sit in custody for two years until trial.
He argued the credibility of the complainant would be called into question, stating she had rung her friend at 5.30am the morning after the alleged offending and made no mention of what had happened, and that the prosecution’s case was not as strong as they claimed.
Rafferty suggested police take Barrientos’ passport, and order a $100,000 personal undertaking and a surety of $100,000 signed by someone in Perth.
But prosecutors argued bail conditions should also include no access whatsoever to social media – something Rafferty said was unrealistic, but suggested it would be possible to ban him from discussing the case online.
The matter has been stood down until Thursday afternoon while Magistrate Tanya Watt considers the submissions, but a decision on bail may not be made until Friday morning.
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