American YouTuber, 25, Jailed for Vile Statue Stunt
The online provocateur specializes in rage bait.
YouTube
A 25-year-old American YouTuber has been sentenced to six months in prison in South Korea for desecrating a statue dedicated to women forced into sexual slavery during World War II. Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalil Ismael, specializes in producing offensive “rage bait” content designed to upset viewers. He was arrested in 2024 for posting a video of himself kissing the “Statue of Peace,” a bronze monument commemorating the World War II-era “comfort women” abused by the Japanese military. He later posted a video apologizing for the stunt and saying he didn’t know the monument’s significance. He was convicted on Wednesday in Seoul of obstructing business and distributing sexual deepfakes. The conviction apparently stemmed from various incidents, with the court noting that Somali had repeatedly committed crimes to make money on YouTube, local media reported. At some point, his channel was deactivated. “I’m remorseful, I’m sorry for my crimes,” he told the court.
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