Controversial American YouTuber Johnny Somali, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has had his prison sentence upheld by a court in Seoul.
The Seoul Western District Court upheld the initial ruling on Thursday, sentencing Somali to six months in prison for obstruction of business, distributing false videos under South Korea’s sexual violence law, and violating the Minor Offenses Act, reported The Joong Ang.
In April 2026, Somali was sentenced to six months in prison by a South Korean court for public nuisance and distributing a deepfake video. The court stated that Somali “repeatedly committed crimes against unspecified members of the public to generate profit via YouTube.”
YouTube is owned by Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL).
YouTube and Google did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comments.
The charges stem from an October 2024 incident in which Somali allegedly disrupted operations at a convenience store in Seoul’s Mapo-gu district by blasting loud music and spilling cup ramen broth on a table. He also faces additional charges tied to disturbances on buses, subways, and at amusement parks, along with allegedly posting obscene videos online.
Despite Somali’s request for a reduced sentence and the chance to return to the United States to begin anew, the court rejected appeals from both parties and affirmed its original decision.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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