British YouTuber and rapper Yung Filly has pleaded not guilty to eight charges arising from the alleged rape of a woman in his hotel room during an Australian tour.
The 24-year-old online identity, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s after a performance at Bar1 Nightclub in Perth on September 28, 2024.
He entered the not guilty pleas during an appearance at Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
He faces three charges of assault, one count of impending a person’s normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck, and four counts of sexual penetration without consent.
The matter will be heard by the District Court in June, and he remains free on $100,000 bail.
He refused to answer questions from the media as he left court, The West Australian reports, but did say it was a ‘beautiful day’.
While on bail, Yung Filly was fined $1,000 and banned from driving for six months after pleading guilty to reckless driving.
He admitted to reckless driving after being caught travelling at 157km/h on a Perth highway, where the speed limit is 100km/h, on November 17.
Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos aka Yung Filly, 24, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s after a performance at Bar1 Nightclub in Perth on September 28
Yung Filly is seen leaving a Perth court on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to eight charges
Filly, who rose to fame on YouTube before picking up a series of presenting jobs with the BBC, has been dropped by a number of brands he previously endorsed – including the FA, Footasylum and German Doner Kebab – after being charged.
He had travelled to Australia last September for a series of concerts, having just released a new single entitled ‘Tempted’, including one at the Bar1 Nightclub in Perth on September 27.
The event had been promoted as a ‘seamless blend of spontaneity, humour and music that’ll have you talking for weeks’.
He is alleged to have carried out the attack at his hotel after the performance in the early hours of September 28.
Police say they have an ‘extremely strong’ prosecution case supported by CCTV and photographic evidence. The photos were not shown in court.
Filly is among the legions of ‘content creators’ who have made a name for themselves by amassing huge followings online and made money from video ad revenue and brand collaborations.
Born in Colombia, he moved to the UK at the age of two with his single mother and two siblings.
After leaving school with four GCSEs and trying his hand at working as a broker, he began posting comedy skits online himself and with collaborators – leading to TV presenting jobs and the start of a music career.
