British YouTuber Yung Filly has pleaded guilty to reckless driving in Australia – while he was on bail for allegedly raping and choking a woman in a hotel room.
Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, admitted to reckless driving after going 98mph on a Perth highway where the speed limit is 62mph, on November 17.
He did so while on conditional bail after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in a Perth hotel on September 28 after a nightclub performance.
The 29-year-old was arrested in Brisbane and extradited to Perth, where he made his first court appearance on October 10.
The London rapper and BBC star, who has 1.8million YouTube subscribers and millions of Instagram and TikTok followers, faces a number of charges.
These include four counts of sexual penetration without consent and three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
He is also accused of impeding the woman’s breathing or circulation by applying pressure to her neck.
Filly was granted conditional bail which states he must stay in Western Australia and report to the police daily. He also had to post a personal $100,000 (£51,438.05) cash.
British YouTuber Yung Filly has pleaded guilty to reckless driving in Australia – while he is on bail for allegedly raping and choking a woman in a hotel room
Filly is seen arriving at the Perth Magistrates Court in Perth, Australia
He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where his lawyer said he would enter a plea of guilty to the driving offence
Filly’s vehicle was impounded after he was caught driving recklessly.
He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Thursday, where his lawyer said he would enter a plea of guilty to the driving offence.
The case was adjourned until January 30, to be heard alongside his other charges.
These include four counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of choking.
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 in light of the sexual assault charges including the FA, Footasylum and German Doner Kebab.
He had travelled to Australia to perform at a series of concerts, having just released a new single entitled ‘Tempted’, and had performed 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.
However, prosecutor Julius Depetro said of their alleged contents that they depicted a ‘history of violent acts’, adding: ‘No ordinary person can consent in those circumstances.’
Yung Filly appeared in court on rape and assault charges in Perth in October
The 29-year-old is required to report to police daily while on bail in Western Australia
The YouTuber was also charged with reckless driving after allegedly driving 158km/h (98mph) on a Perth highway where the speed limit is 100km/h (62mph), on November 17
After leaving school with four GCSEs, he began posting comedy skits online himself – leading to TV presenting jobs (Pictured on The Great Celebrity Bake Off in 2022)
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.
The rapper’s rapid rise to fame saw him land his own BBC show called Hot Property in 2019.
And he has also appeared on Soccer Aid on ITV and Channel 4’s The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
