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UK rapper and YouTuber Yung Filly has been found not guilty of three rape charges following a trial in Western Australia over allegations involving a 20-year-old woman after his 2024 performance in Perth. The jury, however, found him guilty of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
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The court delivered a mixed verdict after an eight-day trial, with jurors unable to reach a decision on three additional rape charges. Prosecutors will now decide whether to pursue a retrial on those unresolved counts.
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Yung Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. The entertainer was also cleared of one assault charge and a charge of strangulation.
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The rapper will remain on bail ahead of his next court appearance on August 21. The hearing will determine the next steps for sentencing on the assault convictions and whether prosecutors will proceed with a retrial on the outstanding charges.
July 31, (THEWILL) — UK rapper and YouTuber Yung Filly has been found not guilty of three rape charges following a trial in Western Australia.
A jury at the District Court of Western Australia on Friday, July 31, cleared the entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, of three counts of sexual penetration without consent linked to an alleged incident involving a 20-year-old woman after his performance at a nightclub in Perth in September 2024.
However, the 30-year-old was found guilty of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three additional rape charges, meaning prosecutors will decide whether to proceed with a retrial on those counts.
Barrientos was also found not guilty of one assault charge and a charge of strangulation.
Case Background
The case stemmed from allegations that Barrientos sexually assaulted the woman in his Perth hotel room after performing at Bar1 Nightclub in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth.
During the trial, Barrientos denied the rape allegations and told the court that he believed the encounter was consensual.
He admitted biting the woman but described the injuries as “love bites.” Prosecutors, however, argued that the encounter became violent and that the woman did not consent to the acts.
The jury was shown photographs of the woman’s injuries, while both the prosecution and defence presented conflicting accounts of what happened inside the hotel room.
Trial Arguments and Verdict
During closing arguments, defence lawyer David Edwardson KC urged the jury to question the prosecution’s evidence, arguing that the allegations were inconsistent. Prosecutor Danielle Clarke, however, told the court that Barrientos had acted with a sense of entitlement and had violated the woman.
After deliberating, the jury returned a mixed verdict. Barrientos reportedly cried as the verdict was read in court.
He will remain on bail ahead of his next court appearance on August 21, when the court is expected to set a sentencing date for the assault convictions.
Prosecutors will also decide whether to pursue a retrial on the three rape charges for which the jury could not reach a verdict.
Evi Ben Ezaga writes on entertainment, culture, and trending stories.
