Rapper and YouTube star Yung Filly appears in court on rape and assault charges
British internet personality was granted bail on strict conditions
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British rapper and internet personality Yung Filly has been granted bail after appearing in an Australian court on charges of rape and assault.
The YouTube star, real name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, was taken into custody in Brisbane on Tuesday (8 October) and extradited to Perth where the alleged incident occurred.
The 29-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday where the charges were read but no pleas were entered, say reports.
Mr Barrientos has been charged 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.
The online star is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her twenties in his hotel room, after he performed at a venue in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth. The attack is alleged to have taken place on Saturday 28 September.
During his court hearing, Mr Barrientos was granted bail with strict conditions and a personal undertaking of 100,000 Australian dollars (£52,000), alongside a surety of 100,000 Australian dollars (£52,000).
The case has next been listed in Perth Magistrates Court on December 19 at 9.30am for a committal mention.
In a press release, the Government of Western Australia said the “investigation is ongoing and Sex Assault Squad detectives urge anyone with information relating to this matter, or any similar incidents” to come forward.
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Born in Cali, Colombia, Mr Barrientos moved to the UK with his family as a child, first to Orpington in Bromley and then to south-east London, where he took an interest in the local grime scene.
He rose to fame in 2017 after he began releasing songs online, at the same time growing a huge online fanbase through his YouTube channel, which has 1.4 million subscribers and a total of around 120 million views since he joined in 2013.
Among his most notable releases are 2020’s “Confidence” featuring fellow rappers Chunkz and Geko, 2022’s “Day to Day” with grime veteran Chip, and his collaboration with Brit Award-winning star Aitch on “Grey”, which was released earlier this year.
In recent years, he has also hosted a number of shows including Yung Filly’s Celeb Lock-in and Hot Property on the BBC; he appeared on Channel 4’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off in 2022.
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
Additional reporting by Press Association