Yung Filly found not guilty of rape but convicted of assault
UK rapper and YouTuber Yung Filly has been found not guilty of raping a woman following a show in Perth, Australia, but a jury delivered a partial conviction on Tuesday, finding him guilty of two counts of assault stemming from the same 2024 incident.
The verdict, handed down at the District Court of Western Australia, ends months of legal proceedings that had cast a long shadow over the career of the 29-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andrés Felipe Valencia Barrientos.
What happened in Perth
The incident occurred in October 2024, after Yung Filly performed at a venue in Perth. A woman alleged she had been sexually assaulted and physically attacked following the show. Prosecutors brought charges including one count of rape and two counts of assault against the performer, who had been touring Australia at the time.
He was acquitted of the rape charge after the jury deliberated for several hours. But the two assault convictions remained, meaning Yung Filly now faces the prospect of sentencing on those counts in the coming weeks.
The verdict and its significance
The not-guilty finding on the rape charge will come as a relief to his legal team, who had argued throughout the trial that the sexual encounter was consensual. Still, the dual assault convictions are no minor matter. Depending on the severity assessment, assault convictions in Western Australia can carry custodial sentences.
It’s a complicated outcome — one that doesn’t offer a clean resolution for either side.
A spokesperson for the Western Australia Director of Public Prosecutions said the office respected the jury’s decision and that sentencing submissions would be prepared in due course. The complainant’s legal representatives declined to comment publicly.
Who is Yung Filly
Yung Filly built his following largely through YouTube and social media, where his comedic videos and collaborations attracted millions of views. He’s also appeared on British television and released music that charted in the UK. By the time of his arrest in late 2024, he had amassed over 8 million subscribers across platforms.
His Australian tour was meant to be a significant step in expanding his profile internationally. Instead, his arrest at a Perth hotel made international headlines within days of the alleged incident, and he spent time on remand before being granted bail.
What comes next
Sentencing for the two assault convictions is expected to be scheduled within the next few weeks, and legal analysts say the judge will consider factors including the nature of the assaults and any prior record when determining the appropriate penalty. His legal team is expected to argue for a non-custodial outcome.
And while Yung Filly is now cleared of the most serious charge he faced, the road back to his former public profile won’t be straightforward. Brands and platforms that distanced themselves from him after his arrest have yet to signal whether they intend to restore any working relationships.
For now, the 29-year-old remains in Australia awaiting his sentencing date.
