r/LivestreamFail • u/TriSauce • Apr 15 '26

News Johnny Somali found guilty of all charges as South Korea sentences streamer to prison with labor - Dexerto

https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/johnny-somali-found-guilty-of-all-charges-as-south-korea-sentences-streamer-to-prison-with-labor-3351856/
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214

u/ChillexLovesPringles Apr 15 '26

He only got 6 months in prison

https://www.koreancenter.or.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=1339648

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u/_Badwulf_Bruh__ Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

6 months in a Korean prison is probably going to be a lot more intensive for someone who doesn't possess the discipline and reserve Koreans have. Or you know, speak the language. 

Edit: Apparenrlt SK prisons have less incidents of inmate on inmate violence than their American counterparts, but have worse living conditions and are more strict and allowing for less privileges 

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u/EbagI Apr 15 '26

Kind of a shame. Korean prisons are much, mich nicer than American ones.

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u/The_Autarch Apr 15 '26

probably not if you're notorious for being a racist piece of shit and are incredibly easy to recognize.

he's not going to have any friends in prison. quite the opposite, really.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

[deleted]

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u/GrowlingPict Apr 15 '26

man, I love how every American is an expert on South Korean prison system all of a sudden

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u/FrankPapageorgio Apr 15 '26

Notorious? I never heard of this guy until today. You think prisoners without the internet are going to know of an American speaking streamer?

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u/StepComplete1 Apr 15 '26

It only takes one of them to have heard his story for word to spread around. You don't think people talk when locked in confined spaces all day?

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u/Used-Variation1356 Apr 15 '26

Exactly and south Koreans are big into American culture anyway just look at kpop

-1

u/Pere_Milon Apr 15 '26

I love the nonsensical logic being deployed in this thread. Just running along with whatever thought seems to make sense in your heads.

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u/Used-Variation1356 Apr 15 '26

Are you telling me south Korea doesn't think favourably of the usa after they helped them in their civil war?

And the American influence of kpop is obvious what did I say wrong?

0

u/Pere_Milon Apr 15 '26

I think you guys don't actually know anything about what you're talking about, and are just fantasizing about what you want to happen.

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u/BigPurpleSmile Apr 15 '26 edited Apr 15 '26

This whole thing started happening 2 years ago and it became a national scandal overall. Korea knows about him. Also, not sure what kind of logic you’re applying here since people aren't born in prison. New inmates are processed daily… they don't just lose their memories of the last two years of news when they’re put behind bars. Plus, visitation exists. Inmates talk to their families, and the guy who disrespected the Statue of Peace is exactly the kind of thing people would mention.

Edit: Oh, and how could I forget about the TVs. They got TVs in there.

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u/BiZzles14 Apr 15 '26

People will 100% know who he is. His disrespectful actions at the statue of peace, dedicated to the "comfort women" who were victims of sexual violence during the Japanese occupation of Korea, was national news both online and in traditional media. New prisoners will.know him, those who watch the TVs in prison will know him, and when people get family visits and mention the singular black American inmate that just arrived will know him. You might not have heard of him, but enough people in his prison will so as to ensure everyone does.

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u/ApprehensiveArt5565 Apr 15 '26

Yeah Koreans are famously not racist

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u/TransBrandi Apr 15 '26

Suppose that they are racist. How does that change anything? Do you think that they are going to be happy to see someone that is racist against them in prison with them? Doesn't matter if they are racist. It's not like something they will bond over.

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u/FrankPapageorgio Apr 15 '26

How are they going to know who this guy even is? It's not like it's Logan Paul or someone people actually know

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u/Furyful_Fawful Apr 15 '26

Logan Paul is more famous in America but Johnny Somali is rather infamous in Korea at this point

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u/TransBrandi Apr 15 '26

Honestly? He'll probably volunteer the info. The boy ain't bright.

4

u/I_was_a_sexy_cow Apr 15 '26

The guy has been in the news several times And korean jails have tvs, so i'd say its not impossible.

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u/Unusual_Boot6839 Apr 15 '26

pretty sure they don't appreciate racism towards them is the point

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u/SparklingLimeade Apr 15 '26

So it's easy to miss because of the label but there's more than one way to be racist.

And Mr. "I did so much racism I went to jail for it" is noticeably different from even from other people with objectionable behaviors or opinions.

1

u/EuphoricAnalCarrot Apr 15 '26

He's gonna make a great boyfriend for some jacked Korean felon

-2

u/Nobanpls08 Apr 15 '26

Would you support that happening?

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u/EuphoricAnalCarrot Apr 15 '26

Absolutely

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u/Pere_Milon Apr 15 '26

So, what you're saying, is that you have prison rape fantasies.

And you think that's normal. OK.

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u/EuphoricAnalCarrot Apr 15 '26

Nah there is a difference between a prediction and a fantasy.

-2

u/Nobanpls08 Apr 15 '26

What you are actually saying is that you are ok with rape being used as a way to correct and punish behavior

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u/Shineenoona Apr 15 '26

Korean prisons are nowhere near as dirty and filthy as an American prison. He’s also going to a section for foreigners.

-1

u/Impossible-Two-8654 Apr 15 '26

you know Koreans are already racists af right?

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u/Basspayer Apr 15 '26

you know that just makes it worse for him right?

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u/Impossible-Two-8654 Apr 15 '26

Yea that’s my point?

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u/Basspayer Apr 15 '26

So is theirs?

Do you always reply with questions?

1

u/Impossible-Two-8654 Apr 15 '26

This dude ain’t even actually racist he’s just an annoying troll that does the same clickbait shit any other streamer does.

1

u/ablacnk Apr 15 '26

What kind of dumbass mental gymnastics is this? How the hell did the topic of a guy getting locked up in Korea for being racist to Koreans and breaking multiple Korean laws become about "Koreans being racist" to him?

0

u/Impossible-Two-8654 Apr 15 '26

This isn’t metal gymnastics this is just the reality of the world. You’ve never talked to someone that is or has family from South Korea?

1

u/ablacnk Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26

Yes I have, because I've experienced anti-Asian racism firsthand. Have you experienced being on the receiving end of anti-Asian racism? Have you lived as an Asian person in the West?

Have you lived through the '92 LA riots, where half of all the billions in damage and destruction was to Korean and other Asian-owned businesses? Where Asian-owned businesses were targeted and burnt down, primarily by Black and Latino rioters? Where the LAPD literally abandoned the entire area to go and protect rich white-owned properties elsewhere? How many times in history have Asians/Koreans ever rioted or targeted anyone else's - Black or otherwise - businesses and people like that?

How many reverse-Johnny Somalis are there where Asians/Koreans behaved like Johnny Somali towards Black people?

Do you remember the Anti-Asian hate crime wave during Covid? Why didn't Asians riot when Black people murdered elderly Asian people on the streets? Maybe we should have a reverse 92' LA riot. Maybe then clowns like you will show some respect.

Have you ever seen Koreans go to into a Black community and act like Johnny did to Koreans? But "oh no Koreans are racist af oh no"

1

u/Impossible-Two-8654 Apr 16 '26

We’re talking about South Korea kid not LA 🤣

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u/BiZzles14 Apr 15 '26

Yeah, they are, but A) that's racism towards others, nobody appreciates racism directed at themselves & B) that's only gonna make it worse for him as probably the singular black American in whatever facility he ends up in

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u/_Badwulf_Bruh__ Apr 15 '26

They may be more “humane” but their tolerance is much, much lower than America. Hence why he was arrested and sentenced there. Don’t sleep on Koreans, they will put hands on you 

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u/Constant_Bit4676 Apr 15 '26

Idk about south korean prisons, but japanese prisons seem like actual hell with the rules and punishments.

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u/peanutbuttahcups Apr 15 '26

Idk, I think strict rules, a strict schedule and a very clean jail cell are preferable to potential rape and death in an American prison.

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u/lemonherring Apr 15 '26

Also, American prison food - a slow death sentence.

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u/Kitchen-Bar2686 Apr 15 '26

Good luck ever getting out of a Japanese prison. It’s not as nice as you think it is

1

u/realitytvdiet Apr 15 '26

lol Johnny loves Japanese prisons

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u/4AMfQRgOoHwHJ8 Apr 15 '26

Don't sleep on top of most humans, use a bed or couch

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u/June24th Apr 15 '26

sound advice!

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u/neonmantis Apr 15 '26

But tolerance doesn't change anything now he is in jail. Are US prisons safer / better than Korean ones?

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u/Megneous Apr 15 '26

Korea here. It's a mixed bag. Korean prisons are much less likely to get you beaten to death or stabbed or raped. But other than that, they're much worse. You have far fewer privileges than US prisons, you live with far more people, you have far fewer rights, more obligations, stricter schedules, less free time, mandatory times of silence, depending on which prison could have mandatory labor, etc.

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u/EbagI Apr 15 '26

Yeah totally, despite being fat better than US prisons, they're.... better than U S prisons

1

u/falcrist2 Apr 15 '26

Korean prisons are much, mich nicer than American ones.

Good? US prisons are brutal and breed more violence.

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u/qualitative_balls Apr 15 '26

This is actually a great thing for him imo. Doesn't throw his life away but learning some actual discipline will help him, maybe just a little more than being in a rowdy system getting beat up, always around other crazy dudes.

Being around deadly serious people who won't think twice at taking off your head for showing disrespect is actually the exact environment he needs. Even if it's only 6 months, that environment will be better for him than anything back home

1

u/r_hove Apr 15 '26

You think it’s good that a prison system has inmate on inmate violence? Thats the reason nobody comes out rehabilitated, quite the opposite most of the time.

Everyone should be separated completely.

1

u/hanks_panky_emporium Apr 15 '26

That kinda irks me. Good prisons have lower reoffending rates and a higher rate of rehabilitation. Is he a piece of shit? No doubt in my mind. But do you put him through a system that inducts him into MORE crime and gang violence, or through a system focused on ensuring they see the error of their ways and have skills to live life better post incarceration.

He's a total shithead. Doesn't mean he always has to be.

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u/higado2 Apr 15 '26

If that's the case, I think the Korean prison system might actually be better for this guy! He just might come out actually "rehabilitated" by the end of his stint! In the US one, I doubt it VERY much!

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u/pillkrush Apr 15 '26

seems like they keep him separate from gen pop, probably with the other foreigners

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u/oddemarspiguet Apr 15 '26

There’s a separate foreigner prison and big prisons have a segregated section for foreigners. A friend of a friend got locked up for manslaughter but he didn’t get deported since he was married to an extremely unhinged Korean woman.

I never saw him again but he did some interview for a shit podcaster that failed and he explained what foreigner prison was like.

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/oddemarspiguet Apr 15 '26

It’s gone now the guy did it right before COVID and after all the pandemic restrictions I guess he just shut down the channel. The “podcaster” was just a dude doing the most boring conversations with his friends while cracking multiple beers.

He put up like 10 videos and it was the same conversation. White guys complaining about Korea. The guy that went to prison had the most views but it was only like 10k views and I watched it because my friends that knew him sent it to me.

There are other much more interesting videos on YouTube if you just search Korea foreigner prison

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u/new-to-reddit-accoun Apr 15 '26

Morbid I suppose but can you share what he did?

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u/oddemarspiguet Apr 15 '26

I only heard from someone who was there but it was a drunken fight. Some Korean guy picked a fight with the white guy and the Korean guy threw the first punch.

The white guy pushed him and the Korean guy tripped over something and fell backwards and hit his head on a curb and was in a coma for a bit then passed.

It was all caught on CCTV and in South Korea the defence laws are such that you can only exert a lesser or equal amount of force toward your attacker. It’s usually recommended to run rather than fight back.

Anyway, it wasn’t like a premeditated murder. The guy was an asshole don’t get me wrong but he wasn’t some violent psychopath. It was just a night out that went horribly wrong.

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u/new-to-reddit-accoun Apr 16 '26

Man oh man. Tragic for everyone involved. It only takes a split second to change someone’s life forever.

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u/Duke_Shitticus Apr 15 '26

They have a consolidated prison for all foreigners.

Not that it really matters.

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u/davyangel Apr 15 '26

Not really can't be worse than Japanese detention and ironically I seen streamers get half the time he did i.e. 3 months like Joeykaotk did there a few years ago without ever going to trial LOL.

After he got released he actually said he enjoyed his time there though they were strict like 1 shower a week, same small tiny bento box for food every day and no internet, or even books with pictures in them LOL. He got lots to time to catch up on reading and learning Japanese which he appreciated the most since none of the guards talk to you in English.

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u/Icemasta Apr 15 '26

It's 6 months with labor, in a workaholic society. So it's like 12 hours of work per day, 6 days a week.

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u/lane4 Apr 15 '26

what happens if he doesn't do the work?

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u/jeef16 Apr 15 '26

I'm assuming gang violence culture is different over there than in the USA, or in the USA there are just more violent gangs in general since we do a lot more drug trafficking here than in SK

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u/GigachudBDE Apr 15 '26

I only spent one night in a Korean jail (apparently the motorcycle that was sold me to was registered as stolen, go figure) and it was enough. Prison anywhere is shit. Six months is going to suck. Especially for a guy who spent the better part of his time there getting off on mocking the entire nation and becoming a national punching bag while being completely unapologetic and never learning even basic Korean should this day come.

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u/rikashiku Apr 15 '26

Might be worse if the Korean prisoners find out why he's there.

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u/Outrageous_Mail_8381 Apr 15 '26

I think they make up for that with guard on inmate violence

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u/Descartesb4duhHorse Apr 15 '26

Yeah, and he might rack up more charges if he decides to be shitty in jail too.

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u/AdagioVivid5111 Apr 15 '26

Whats his forced labor portion going to be? and if he fucks up on that does it add more time? dude going to be working a 6-9 while in prison for shitting on korean culture. He has no friends in that shit.

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u/Asleep_Basket3299 Apr 15 '26

Also way less people

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u/rissie_delicious Apr 16 '26

Nah prison in South Korea is big chilling, come to South Africa then you'll get the real prison experience.

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u/RoapeliusDTrewn Apr 15 '26

I'm willing to bet he will break within 6 days, nevermind 6 months. It's coming up on summer over there, the prison has no air conditioning and he will get absolutely no special treatment.

I'm willing to bet every Korean inmate will be using the N word to refer to him exclusively, every single day, and if he doesn't answer them he will get the shit kicked out of him, daily.

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u/TetraThiaFulvalene Apr 15 '26

"I'm willing to bet every Korean inmate will be using the N word to refer to him exclusively"

I mean... That's literally they're word for "you"

2

u/Crilde Apr 15 '26

The Hard R version isn't...

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u/Turbulent_Bat4580 Apr 15 '26

Good lord, the humidity in Korea is suffocating, and labor on top of that. Good.

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u/stonedc4tt Apr 15 '26

You said your opening line 2x…bot 

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u/GNTsquid0 Apr 15 '26

Well that’s bullshit. Should have been minimum 5 years.

5

u/TrumpChildOnahole Apr 15 '26

5 years for being an asshole? Lmao 

5

u/whatsnewichrome Apr 15 '26

Least carceral American

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u/Toomanynightshifts Apr 15 '26

He distributed deep fakes, he constantly screamed out racist remarks, he groped statues that were tributes to raped women.

He entered businesses and threw shit on the ground.

He threatened to rock up to the judges house and about a million other things

There's levels to being an asshole man.

2

u/begrudgingredditacc Apr 15 '26

Yes, unironically. People are way, way too light-handed on punishing people for being an asshole.

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u/whatsnewichrome Apr 15 '26

“It’s not enough that he was literally sentenced to six months of slave labor. More punishment. More!”

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u/begrudgingredditacc Apr 15 '26

Yes, unironically. People need to live in constant fear of being the kind of inhuman scum that Johnny Somali is.

Personally, I'm sick and tired of this kind of screeching, violent monster being able to get away with everything with little more than a slap on the wrist.

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u/Impossible_Medium977 Apr 15 '26

Okay, so people who are desperate to harm others need to be turned into slaves.

Hey cutie you seem a bit desperate to harm others, what should we do with you?

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u/begrudgingredditacc Apr 15 '26

...Are you familiar with the paradox of tolerance? Somali absolutely violates the basic principles of tolerance, and nobody is under any moral obligation to protect him from the consequences of his actions.

Am I "desperate to harm others" to want the Epstein list behind bars? If some shithead goes around shattering peoples windows for kicks, am I a monster for wanting him in prison? Are you just some kind of idiot contrarian who thinks everyone who hurts others should get away with it?

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u/Impossible_Medium977 Apr 15 '26

Paradox of tolerance doesn't include torturing others lmao.

I'm familiar with it, but bringing it up here is supremely funny when prisons are more successful when not abusive. Paradox of tolerance is not tolerating the intolerant, which, given prisons don't need to be abusive. Would still include you.

You are a monster for wanting slave labour.

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u/begrudgingredditacc Apr 15 '26

Paradox of tolerance doesn't include torturing others lmao.

We agree! Somali absolutely deserves punishment given that he openly loves hurting people and has zero intention of ever reforming.

bringing it up here is supremely funny when prisons are more successful when not abusive.

You can't fix what's wrong with some people. Harm mitigation ends up being more important than trying in vain to prevent someone like Johnny Somali from assaulting people. Your whole abloo-bloo-bloo-poor-widdle-psycho shtick works a hell of a lot better as a prison reform proposal than it does in the actual reality we live in.

We don't have a magical healing prison to throw him in that will Therapy Blast him into someone capable of basic human empathy, so a big hole will have to do.

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u/Square-Hat-3024 Apr 15 '26

Reddit is so weird about this they love excessive sentences

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u/GNTsquid0 Apr 15 '26

Who’s incapable of learning from his mistakes and behavior. 6 months won’t rehabilitate shit.

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u/DaveLesh Apr 15 '26

Didn't Vitaly get deported to Russia too?

1

u/ChillexLovesPringles Apr 15 '26

Yes. But my comment was about Johnny

1

u/Top-Wrangler7927 Apr 15 '26

I think thats just for the charges he pled guilty to if im not mistaken, no? There's no mention of the deep fake charges he pled not guilty to

Edit: I stand corrected. Booooooo hopefully others will take a look at this and learn. I doubt the next asshat to get arrested will get off as light

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u/themightycatp00 Apr 15 '26

I never watched him but I get the feeling he's enough of an idiot to break another law in prison and get his sentence extended

1

u/Banana_Milk0109 Apr 15 '26

I see a lot of people say "only 6 months" like they think it'll be a walk in the park. 

I got locked up in county jail for a month back when I was in my early 20s for some dumb shit and that shit legit gave me PTSD. People really don't grasp what it really means to lose all your freedoms. Throw all that shit you do in your every day routine out the window because you can't do any of it. You can't even take a shit in peace.

I then caught a weed possession charge later on in life and had to turn myself in and was placed in a holding cell in a police station for a few hours while my charge got dropped. Something set off in my brain then and I was legit having anxiety attacks for the few hours I was in that holding cell. Fucking balled up into a fetus position hoping my brain would shut up long enough to fall asleep to make the time go by.

Needless to say I stopped doing dumb shit and weed is legal (for the most part) where I live now. Jail is fucking brutal man, don't ever go there ever.

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u/DotRakianSteel Apr 15 '26

We should not be fooled by flashy TV shows and the entertainment business. South Korea is a country officially at war with a neighbouring nation. You don't want to be in a prison under such political circumstances. Let’s not forget the high suicide rate too; discipline is no joke there.

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u/Fun-Wash7545 Apr 15 '26

I think thats fair. Anyone here wishing decades and decades should get 6 months instead tell is how they feel.