PERTH, Australia — A British entertainer with millions of online followers faces a jury verdict Wednesday on charges he raped and choked a 20-year-old fan in a Perth hotel room following a September 2024 performance. Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, 30, known professionally as Yung Filly, has pleaded not guilty to six counts of rape, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, and one count of choking in the District Court of Western Australia.
Prosecutor Danielle Clarke delivered closing arguments Tuesday, describing Barrientos as an "entitled man" with a "moderate degree of fame" who committed sexual violence against an "impressionable" young woman. "She meant nothing to him," Clarke told the court. "What could have been and should have been consensual sex quickly escalated into sexual violence and a non-consensual nightmare."
The Defense's Position
Barrientos testified Monday that he didn't slap or choke the woman, though he acknowledged biting her multiple times. "In England we would call it a love bite," he told the court. He denied the woman repeatedly told him to stop or said he was hurting her. "There was kissing in between; I would give her a love bite and then kiss her," Barrientos said from the witness box. "I don't recall any blood."
The court viewed photographs showing the woman with bruising and bite marks on her face and neck. Prosecutors said the woman initially agreed to have sex with Barrientos but withdrew consent when she started to fear for her safety. The accuser can't legally be named under Australian law.
Security Protocols Under Scrutiny
Barrientos met the woman at a Perth nightclub after his performance. "The vibes were good and she had a really good energy about her," he said. His bodyguard took the woman's phone before she entered the hotel room, a detail prosecutors highlighted as evidence of entrapment. Barrientos disputed that characterization. "It is standard practice for someone in the limelight to protect privacy," he told the court.
The Colombian-born entertainer had been touring Australia with performances in Sydney and Melbourne before the Perth incident. He was arrested several days later in Brisbane, where the tour was scheduled to end. The jury is expected to begin deliberations Wednesday after defense lawyers complete their closing statements.
Why This Matters:
This case tests how Australian courts handle allegations involving social media celebrities and their fans, where power imbalances and consent boundaries intersect with celebrity security protocols. The prosecution's argument that standard privacy measures—confiscating phones before private encounters—can constitute evidence of criminal intent raises questions about how entertainers can legitimately protect themselves from unauthorized recordings while respecting individual liberty. The outcome will signal whether courts view celebrity status as an aggravating factor in consent disputes or whether the presumption of innocence withstands prosecutorial framing of fame as entitlement. For the entertainment industry, it's a reminder that standard security practices may not shield performers from criminal liability when consent is disputed.