A controversial American live-streamer is facing the prospect of prison in South Korea for his offensive antics, in a case that is shining a light on the rise of so-called “nuisance influencers” seeking clicks overseas.
Ramsey Khalid Ismael, 24, commonly known by his online alias, “Johnny Somali,” has been indicted of causing a “commotion” at a convenience store, Seoul prosecutors confirmed to CNN. If convicted he faces up to five years in prison.
A departure ban has also been placed on Ismael, preventing him from leaving the country while authorities continue their investigation, CNN affiliate MBC News reported.
CNN has reached out to Ismael for comment. It is unclear if he has an attorney.
I mean, this also sounds like free publicity. The kind that would turn this nobody into a celebrity. After all, we’re talking about him.
Nah, he’s been banned on almost every platform, and by the time he gets out of jail, no one will remember his name
He’s already a celebrity, though. Just because you didn’t know of him doesn’t change that. Tens of thousands of followers is a lot of people.
This has been covered previously by some sites but it doesn’t put much weight on the issue. But when the mainstream media start to cover a story like this, we knows that it’s no longer small talks: My previous take.