Mixed Verdict After Eight-Day Trial

British social media star and rapper Yung Filly has received a mixed verdict from a Western Australian jury, being found guilty of assaulting a young fan but acquitted of raping her following a concert in Perth in 2024 .

The 30-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, wept as the verdicts were delivered in the District Court of Western Australia on Friday . He had pleaded not guilty to six charges of rape, three charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, and one count of choking .

The jury found him guilty of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, which relate to him biting the woman on her neck and breast . However, he was acquitted of three counts of sexual penetration without consent, one count of assault, and one count of strangulation .

The jury was unable to reach a decision on three other counts of rape, meaning prosecutors will now decide whether to pursue a retrial on those charges .

The Allegations and Trial

The charges stemmed from an incident in September 2024, when Barrientos was on his Australian tour . He had performed at the Bar1 Nightclub in Hillarys, a coastal suburb of Perth, before going to the InterContinental hotel in Perth's CBD with the woman and his entourage .

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was 20 at the time of the alleged incident . She testified that she initially had consensual sex with Barrientos, whom she described as her favourite celebrity and "future husband," before the encounter turned violent .

Prosecutor Danielle Clarke told the jury that Barrientos was an "entitled" man with a "moderate degree of fame" who had violated the fan "in the most intrusive way possible" . The prosecution showed the court graphic photos of injuries to the woman's face and neck, including bruising and bite marks .

The defence lawyer, David Edwardson, cast doubt on the accuser's testimony, suggesting the police investigation was not impartial and pointing to inconsistencies in evidence given by the woman and her cousin . He suggested that sex with groupies on tour was a "fact of life" and told the jury: "Andres Barrientos was not her knight in shining armour" .

Barrientos testified that he had "fancied" the woman when they met at the concert venue and that the "vibes were good" when they arrived at his hotel . He denied the woman had repeatedly asked him to stop but acknowledged biting her, describing the injuries as "love bites" .

Courtroom Drama and TikTok Leak

The trial was marked by unusual courtroom drama when a TikTok video showing Barrientos sitting in the dock was circulated online . Judge Linda Black ordered the footage be taken down and threatened to jail anyone who breached her orders .

In response, the judge had the court's windows boarded up and implemented a strict identification policy for court entry . She also revealed that online posts had violated court orders by identifying the alleged victim .

On Wednesday, Judge Black advised the jury to ignore anyone outside the court building supporting Barrientos, referring to them as "idiots outside carrying placards" who had no respect for the court . A fight reportedly broke out outside the courthouse soon afterwards .

Who is Yung Filly?

Barrientos, born in Colombia and raised in the UK from the age of two, built his career as a social media personality before branching into music . He is known for his work with the YouTube collective Beta Squad and has appeared on celebrity versions of The Great British Bake Off and Soccer Aid .

He boasts 1.8 million YouTube subscribers, three million TikTok followers, and 2.4 million Instagram followers . In 2021, he won the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Award for Best Media Personality .

Next Steps

Barrientos will remain on bail until 21 August, when the court will set a sentencing date for the assault convictions . At that hearing, prosecutors will also decide whether to proceed with a retrial on the three rape charges on which the jury could not reach a verdict . He also faces separate charges for reckless driving after being caught speeding at 158km/h on a Perth highway while on bail .