British rapper and YouTube personality Yung Filly aka Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, has appeared in a Perth court facing allegations of rape and assault during his Australian tour.
Barrientos, 29, was arrested in Brisbane and extradited to Perth after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s at his hotel after his performance at Bar120, a nightclub in Perth’s northern suburbs, on September 28.
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 by applying pressure to their neck.
Represented by Perth barrister Seamus Rafferty SC, Barrientos applied for bail during his appearance at the Perth Magistrates Court.
WA police prosecution led by Julius Depetro opposed the bail request, arguing that the case against Barrientos is strong, supported by CCTV footage and photographic evidence.
Depetro highlighted Barrientos’ extensive social media following, with over 8 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, raising concerns about the potential for witness interference.
He emphasised that, as a public figure with significant financial resources, with reported earnings around $700,000 from his social media platforms.
He said that Barrientos had no ties to Western Australia and that he resides in the UK, and was originally from Colombia, making the risk of him fleeing even greater.
Depetro further argued that the alleged violent acts were “beyond the pale” and that Barrientos’ influence and wealth made standard protective bail conditions inadequate.
Barrientos’ attorney, Rafferty, argued that his client’s fame shouldn’t lead to different bail conditions, stressing that everyone should be treated equally.
He suggested a $100,000 surety and protective measures, like banning posts about the case on social media. However, Rafferty opposed a full social media ban, noting that Barrientos relies on it for his income.
Magistrate Tanya Watt accepted a written submission instead of having the facts read aloud. She has adjourned the hearing to review the bail application and will reconvene later this afternoon.
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