In Seoul, South Korea, controversial American livestreamer Ramsey Khalid Ismael, known as Johnny Somali, pleaded guilty to a new obstruction of business charge on August 13, 2025, bringing his total guilty pleas to six of eight charges in a high-profile legal battle.
The 24-year-old, facing up to 12 years in prison, admitted to four obstruction of business counts and two minor offenses but maintains not guilty pleas on two deepfake charges involving non-consensual sexual content.
The Seoul Western District Court set his next trial date for October 29, 2025, as a July 29, 2025, gag order by the court bars public discussion by involved parties to ensure a fair trial. Ismael, banned from leaving South Korea since November 2024, has drawn widespread condemnation for antics like kissing a “comfort woman” statue and disrupting public spaces, with a victim’s petition for maximum sentencing intensifying the case’s stakes.
The case stems from Ismael’s provocative livestreams in South Korea, beginning in October 2024, which included harassing a convenience store worker, playing North Korean propaganda on a bus, and streaming inappropriate text-to-speech at Lotte World theme park.
Initially indicted for causing a “commotion” at a 7/11, he faced additional charges, including a fourth obstruction count added on July 27, 2025, for agitating bus passengers. A June 30, 2025, petition by a victim, supported by evidence of harm and lack of remorse, urges a maximum sentence, potentially up to 31 years if a child sexual harassment charge is added.
Ismael was unaware of the latest charge until it was revealed online, and his defense’s claim of intoxication during the deepfake distribution has been criticized as weak by observers like YouTuber Atozy.
Pre-trial hearings have highlighted Ismael’s uncooperative behavior, including arriving late to a March 12, 2025, hearing with a stomachache excuse and wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, which he was asked to remove.
The deepfake charges, carrying up to 10.5 years each, involve creating or sharing non-consensual sexual content, while a separate investigation into a potential child welfare act violation could add 10 years.
As the October 2025 trial approaches, the case underscores South Korea’s crackdown on “nuisance influencers,” with Ismael’s fate potentially setting a precedent for foreign content creators.
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