British YouTuber and rapper Yung Filly will face a retrial on allegations he raped a woman in Australia almost two years ago, after a jury failed to reach verdicts on the most serious charges.
Filly, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, faces three charges of sexual penetration without consent. He has also been charged with possessing cannabis on May 20 this year.
The 31-year-old was previously charged with six counts of sexual penetration without consent, three counts of assault and one count of strangulation over an alleged incident in a Perth hotel room in September 2024, which he denied.
At the first trial last month, Barrientos was found not guilty of three sexual penetration without consent charges, while the other three resulted in a hung jury — meaning the jurors could not decide whether he was guilty or not. He was also cleared of the strangulation count and one of the assault counts. However, he was found guilty of the other two assault counts, relating to allegations he bit the victim's neck and breast.
The woman — who was 20 at the time and cannot be named — was a fan of the star and went back to his hotel room after he played at a nightclub. She said they had initially had consensual sex but that it became non-consensual and violent.
Prosecutor Danielle Clarke told Judge Linda Black that the alleged victim was willing to testify again at the retrial. The court heard that an application to vary Barrientos's bail conditions would be heard on August 27, with the case listed for mention for retrial in the District Court on September 25.
Barrientos will be sentenced for the assault convictions after his retrial. The cannabis possession charge relates to an alleged offence on May 20, while he was on bail before the first trial, and he faces a hearing at Mandurah Magistrates' Court near Perth. Western Australia's courts previously set bail at 100,000 Australian dollars.
Yung Filly, born in Colombia and raised in south-east London, built a large following through YouTube comedy videos and collaborations with other British creators before branching into music. He became a mainstream television personality in the UK, hosting shows and appearing as a team captain on quiz programmes.
His arrest in Australia in 2024 sent shockwaves through the British entertainment industry, where he had been one of the most prominent young stars to emerge from the YouTube generation. Brands and broadcasters distanced themselves from him following the charges.
The retrial means the most serious allegations against him remain unresolved. He denies the rape charges, and the case will return to court in the coming months.