Streamer sentenced to time in Korean prison reportedly being treated like a 'celebrity' with big requests for fans
One controversial streamer's time in prison has been far more luxurious than previously expected, as while many thought he'd be subjected to 'jail hell' for his crimes, he's reportedly been treated like a 'celebrity'.
There has been a recent influx of live streamers creating provocative content while traveling abroad, and it's more often than not left them in trouble with the law and subject to unpleasant conditions in prison.
Controversial prankster Vitaly Zdorovetskiy was thrust back into the news when streams showing him causing chaos in the Philippines led to his arrest and subsequent deportation to Russia despite previously living in the United States, yet he was upstaged by another fellow creator.
Few people on social media have earned themselves as much notoriety and backlash, however, as Johnny Somali – known also by his real name Ramsey Khalid Ismael – as his on-camera antics across the world have been heavily ridiculed.
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He has previously been arrested for his actions in Japan – which included anti-Japanese remarks about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – but recently faced eight separate criminal charges following a trip to South Korea.
These included a 'special act of sexual violence' alongside several 'obstruction of businesses', and while prosecutors in his trial believed Ismael should be subject to three years of hard labor as a result of his crimes, he was left with a prison sentence of just 6 months and 20 days.
This has since been extended, however, following an appeal from the streamer himself – although more time in prison might not be quite as bad as he hoped as the conditions are far better than expected.
A letter sent by Ismael to a fan in Korea was the first hint towards this, as he claimed to be 'having fun' in prison and was spending time with a 'good group of cellmates', and further communication from the streamer echoed this sentiment.
As reported by Dexerto, another letter revealed by YouTuber and criminal expert Legal Mindset – who has been covering the Johnny Somali case closely – indicated that the streamer had asked for items from fans, and was even being treated like a 'celebrity' in prison.
"I am like a celebrity inmate here, and I am treated very well by all of the inmates, many shake my hand and always say hello or yell 'soooooomali!!' from the other cells or cell blocks through the windows," adding in addition that he had even signed his autograph for some inmates.
"At the moment, I am staying in a cell with other foreign inmates, but I have been given the option to stay alone if I would like,” Somali continued, noting that the conditions he faces in prison are "not that bad at all."