Yung Filly has been found not guilty of raping a fan after performing in Australia in 2024, but has been found guilty of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
The rapper and YouTuber, real name Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old woman in his hotel room after performing at a nightclub in Perth in 2024.
The trial has been ongoing for the past week, and today (Friday July 31) a jury found him not guilty on three counts of non-consensual sexual penetration. He was, however, found guilty for two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
The 30-year-old television personality pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At the trial, the jury could not reach a decision on the three counts of rape. BBC News reports that he was also found not guilty on one charge of strangulation and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.
Barrientos told the court that he “fancied” the woman when he met her at the gig, and added that he was in the VIP area and spoke to her as she leaned over the barrier from the general area. He admitted to “putting my hand on her waist”, but denied that he touched her breasts or put his hands down her trousers.
The court also heard him claim that the “vibes were good” between the two of them when she went to his hotel, and also that his security guard took her phone away briefly to ensure privacy.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, alleged that the two of them had consensual sex in his hotel room, and that the rapper later turned violent. She alleged that he bit her, caused bruises, and attempted to choke her, and she told him to stop. The court was shown images of bite marks and bruises, according to BBC News.
Yung Filly acknowledged that he bit her several times, calling them “love bites”, but denied that the woman ever asked him to stop. His defence lawyer argued that the evidence from the accuser was filled with “inconsistencies, embellishments and outright lies”, and the prosecutor alleged that the rapper was “entitled” and violated her client “in the most intrusive way possible”.
He will remain on bail until August 21, and from there the court will decide his sentencing date. Prosecutors will also reach a decision on how to best proceed following the three hung jury verdicts, debating whether or not to keep pursuing the rape charges.
Barrientos, who has 1.84million YouTube subscribers, won a MOBO Award in 2021 for Best Media Personality.
In 2018, he hosted the TV show Hot Property on BBC Three, and later presented the game show Yung Filly’s Celeb Lock-In. Additionally, Barrientos has made guest appearances on The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4 and Would I Lie To You? on BBC One.
He also played for England in the charity football match Soccer Aid in 2020, joining the likes of James Bay and Olly Murs on the team.
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
