Brussels YouTuber found guilty, for now avoids jail despite offensive pranks

YouTuber YaNike (20) from Brussels (Belgium) seriously crossed the line while creating content. The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has sentenced him to 15 months in prison, suspended, for his 'pranks'. The public prosecutor demanded an effective prison sentence of 42 months for all offences together, but the judge did not agree. Two associates of the man have been given a community service sentence of 100 hours.

YaNike posted several videos online showing him pouring buckets containing, among other things, faeces over passengers on the metro. The unsuspecting passengers were always left bewildered, while the YouTuber gained views and followers on his social media. However, Brussels’ public transport company MIVB filed a complaint, after which the young man was arrested in January 2024.

Nevertheless, the YouTuber was quickly released under certain conditions, after which he almost immediately posted new videos again showing him pouring a bucket of faeces over some people. The Brussels YouTuber also used his regained freedom to make videos showing him throwing eggs at people in a park in Brussels. The defendant also refused to comply with the investigating judge’s order to delete his YouTube channel.

"He does not realise what he has done," said the deputy public prosecutor of the Brussels public prosecutor’s office in a reaction to Bruzz. "One of his victims was a homeless person sleeping on the street. There is nothing funny about this. In the incidents on the metro, a girl of just 9 years old got a bucket of filth over her head." The prosecutor's office also takes a serious view of the fact that the defendant refused to comply with the investigating judge’s order to delete his YouTube channel.

If Yanike commits further offences, he will have to serve his prison sentence in full.

(FVDV - Source: Bruzz - Illustration: ©Image by piviso from Pixabay)