Popular British rapper and YouTuber Yung Filly has been arrested over rape and assault allegations in Australia.
The internet personality –birth name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, 29 – was arrested in Brisbane on Tuesday (October 8th) and extradited to Perth on Wednesday (October 9th), where he remains in custody, BBC reports.
Filly, who is currently on tour in Australia, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in his Perth hotel room on September 28th after a performance at Bar1 nightclub on September 27th.
Western Australia Police’s sexual assault squad charged Filly with three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and four counts of sexual penetration without consent.
He has also been charged with one count of impeding another person’s breathing or circulation by applying pressure to the neck.
Filly appeared at Perth Magistrates Court Thursday (October 10th), where his bail application was adjourned until later in the day.
ABC Australia reports that the British internet personality and BBC star is being represented by Perth barrister Seamus Rafferty SC.
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According to the publication, Rafferty said of Filly’s bail denial: “This has already made headlines. Given the nature of social media, the nature of people jumping on bandwagons, given the nature of (the) power imbalance between the parties.”
Footage of the Grey rapper, who recently appeared on the UK on Soccer Aid on ITV and The Great Celebrity Bake Off on Channel 4, performing at Perth’s Bar1 Nightclub was posted to TikTok by the venue.
Images of the woman’s injuries allegedly caused by Filly were provided to the magistrate by the prosecution, who said: “No ordinary person can consent in those circumstances.”
“Across her body is a history of violent acts… We say these photos and what is alleged is beyond the pale, beyond what could be considered to be a consensual act.”
In court, Filly’s lawyer revealed that the internet personality earns $470,946 (£360,000) from social media alone. He has over 3 million followers on Instagram and almost 2 million YouTube subscribers.
Filly kicked off his digital stardom in 2013 and became a hit in 2017 after releasing his songs online. Among his notable releases are “Day to Day” with grime star Chip, “Confidence” featuring fellow YouTuber Chunkz and Geko, and his award-winning collaboration with grime superstar Aitch, released earlier this year.
Filly has also solidified his place as a key member of the Beta Squad and is widely recognized for his collaborations with the Sidemen.
