South Korean prosecutors have charged troll influencer Johnny Somali after he caused a “commotion” at a grocery store.
The 24-year-old influencer, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has built an online audience by hurling insults and provocative comments while traveling abroad, particularly Asia.
Ismael has been banned from several live streaming platforms, including Twitch and Kick, for his stunts.
In a series of videos posted to Instagram last month, he was seen drinking alcohol at a convenience store before helping himself to instant noodles.
Although the initial video was removed from his page, Ismael left a video of him cleaning up the mess, with the caption: “I AM INNOCENT.” THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT AND MEDIA ARE CORRUPT. I AM THE OJ SIMPSON OF ASIA. NORTH KOREA STATE MEDIA WILL NOT SHOW THIS CLIP.’
The 24-year-old influencer, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has built an online audience by hurling insults and provocative comments while traveling abroad, particularly to Asia.
He also broadcast himself kissing the country’s Statue of Peace during a live video.
Ismael has been banned from several live streaming platforms, including Twitch and Kick, for his stunts.
In the video, he appears to be on the phone with an associate and saying, ‘Let me clean this shit up, I made a big mess.’ Let me clean this shit up.”
South Korean prosecutors said he will face trial and has been banned from leaving the country, although he has not been detained.
It comes after Ismael was banned from leaving the south while authorities investigate him over drug allegations.
After receiving reports on an emergency hotline accusing the streamer of drug use, police quickly began investigations.
Korean law firm Lee & Lee said that if Somali is convicted, he could face 10 years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won ($95,000).
The streamer, from Arizona, was also discussed in South Korea’s parliament last month after a series of videos appeared to show him wreaking havoc in the country.
One member of parliament questioned whether there will be legal consequences for his actions, which include disrespecting a memorial statue and pouring ramen on the floor of a convenience store.
The Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, rose to fame in the East Asian country for his disruptive and often offensive stunts.
Somalia has previously said it would perform lewd acts against a statue, the Korea JoongAng Daily reports.
He also broadcast himself kissing the country’s Peace Statue during a live video, a monument honoring Korean comfort women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.
The following week, he allegedly applied baby oil to the statue, while suggesting that he would perform lewd acts on it, Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
“We are watching Johnny Somali,” said the speaker of parliament.
It came after Somali was reportedly detained for his own protection late last month after a livestream showed someone in a mask assaulting him.
Her alleged attacker, who has since been reported as a rival YouTuber from Japan, was arrested and online clips later showed Somali in the back of a police car.
The streamer can be seen drinking Soju, being disrespectful to officials and angering locals in images circulating on social media.
“Americans have a lot more freedom here,” he was heard saying in one clip.
American YouTuber Johnny Somali was previously banned from leaving South Korea while authorities investigate him over drug allegations.
Somali was reportedly detained for his own protection late last month after a live broadcast showed him being assaulted by someone wearing a mask.
The controversial streamer was discussed in South Korea’s parliament last month after videos emerged showing him wreaking havoc in the country.
‘These black people protect us, us in the back of a police car. Come find us! Come find us!’
Police later told local media: “We intend to investigate related complaints.”
This incident became the third time a Somali was attacked in a week, after being beaten in Seoul on two separate occasions the previous week.
A Dexerto report claimed that Somali had been charged with two counts of assault and drug use, which he vehemently denied.
“I have never been accused of assaulting anyone, this is a warning for me to remove this post and article or I will take legal action,” he wrote about the report about X.