South Korean authorities have opened an investigation into American streamer Johnny Somali over allegations of child sexual harassment. The investigation marks a major escalation in the legal issues facing the controversial internet personality, whose real name is Ismael Ramsey Khalid.
Prosecutors have been building a larger case against Somali, deliberately dropping earlier charges related to incidents at Lotte World amusement park to gather more evidence. This strategy lets them put together a stronger case that covers multiple offenses.
The streamer, known for his provocative IRL broadcasts, has a history of legal issues across Asia. Before his troubles in South Korea, he ended up in detention in Japan for similar disruptive behaviors during livestreams.
Beyond the child sexual harassment allegations, Somali could also be charged with obstruction of business, creating public nuisances, using explicit content in public, and making “deepfake” content. That last charge comes with a mandatory prison sentence under South Korean law.
While some believe he could face a long time behind bars, legal experts say South Korean sentencing rules would probably limit a combined sentence to about 10-12 years if he’s found guilty of several charges. That’s because Korean law puts restrictions on stacking extra time for multiple convictions.
Somali became well-known on platforms like Kick.com, sharing content focused on text-to-speech donations that trigger messages, which often blast offensive language in public places. His streaming style is all about getting reactions from people around him for entertainment.
South Korea has strict laws about public disturbances, sexual harassment, and especially crimes involving minors. Foreigners convicted of crimes are usually deported and might be banned from coming back after their release.
Even with legal trouble piling up, reports say Somali is still in South Korea, recently livestreaming from a public park while drinking beer, which suggests he doesn’t have strict movement limits while the investigation goes on.
