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A jury in Perth has cleared British rapper and YouTuber Yung Filly of raping a woman he met after one of his shows, but he has been convicted on two assault charges linked to the same incident.
The 30-year-old, whose legal name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, became emotional as the verdicts were delivered on Friday following an eight-day trial in Western Australia. Jurors found him not guilty of three counts of sexual penetration without consent, as well as one count each of slapping and strangulation. They did, however, convict him of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. The jury could not reach a verdict on three additional rape charges, leaving prosecutors to decide whether to seek a retrial.
The allegations stem from an incident in a Perth hotel room in September 2024 after Barrientos performed at Bar1 nightclub in Hillarys. He told the court he first noticed the woman, then 20, while she was in the crowd and admitted placing a hand on her waist. He denied touching her breast or putting his hands inside her clothing.
Barrientos said they got along well and later went to his hotel, where his security team collected the woman’s phone. He told jurors this was a routine measure to protect his privacy.
Both sides agreed the pair initially had consensual sex. The dispute centred on what happened afterward. The woman, whose identity is protected by law, testified that Barrientos became violent, biting her, leaving bruises and trying to choke her even after she repeatedly asked him to stop. Photos of injuries to her face and neck were presented to the jury.
Barrientos denied she repeatedly withdrew her consent but admitted biting her more than once, describing the bites as “love bites.”
In closing arguments, prosecutor Danielle Clarke described Barrientos as an “entitled” celebrity who had violated a fan “in the most intrusive way possible.” His defence argued the woman’s account contained inconsistencies, exaggerations and falsehoods.
Barrientos remains on bail until August 21, when the court is expected to set a sentencing date for the assault convictions. Prosecutors must also decide whether to retry him on the three unresolved rape charges.
The case began after Barrientos was arrested in Brisbane in October 2024 and extradited to Perth. He was released on strict bail conditions, including remaining in Western Australia, reporting to police daily and avoiding public discussion of the case. While on bail, he also pleaded guilty to a separate reckless driving offence after being caught driving nearly 100 mph in a 60 mph zone. He was later allowed to return briefly to the UK before coming back to Australia for the trial.
Barrientos, born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in south-east London, is widely known as a member of the YouTube group Beta Squad. He has built a large online audience with 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, three million TikTok followers and 2.4 million Instagram followers. His career has also included appearances on Celebrity Bake Off and presenting work for BBC Three, and he won the MOBO Award for Best Media Personality in 2021.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah
