American livestreamer Johnny Somali is facing a potential 31-year prison sentence in South Korea after authorities filed multiple criminal charges against him for his disruptive behavior and digital sex crimes. The charges come after months of the streamer broadcasting himself harassing locals and violating numerous South Korean laws.
Prosecutors have hit Somali, whose real name is Anwar Abdullahi, with a stack of serious charges. These include two counts of “obstruction of business” (each carrying up to five years), two counts under the Minor Crimes Act, and most severely, two counts for violating the Special Act on Sexual Violence Crimes related to AI-generated deepfake videos, each carrying a potential sentence of up to 10.5 years.
The deepfake charges are the biggest issue here, showing just how seriously South Korea is now treating digital sex crimes. The country has recently toughened up its laws against these kinds of violations after public anger over revenge porn and non-consensual digital sexual content.
Somali first gained notoriety in Japan, where he livestreamed himself harassing commuters, disrupting businesses, and mocking local customs. These actions eventually led to his detention and deportation from Japan in 2023. Not put off by that, he continued his provocative behavior as soon as he landed in South Korea.
His streams typically featured him causing a public nuisance on purpose, making racially charged comments, shouting in public spaces, and filming people without their consent, all while broadcasting live to his followers online.
Legal experts say that while the combined max sentence reaches 31 years, it’s not likely Somali would serve the full term if convicted. However, with South Korea’s conviction rate at nearly 99%, some punishment is almost guaranteed.
The tough response by South Korean authorities looks like an attempt to send a message to other foreign streamers who might be thinking of pulling similar stunts. The government seems eager to make Somali into an example, especially with all the worry about “nuisance streamers” and digital crimes in the country.
