Vitaly Zdorovetskiy to face 18 months in prison in Phillipines. Here's what we know so far

YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy faces possible prison time in the Philippines for alleged harassment during a livestream.

Russian-American YouTuber and prankster Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is no stranger to controversy, but is now staring down the barrel of three years in the Philippines' prison following his arrest in early April, per Legal Mindset.

Vitaly Zdorovetskiy arrested for disruptive behavior in Manila; could face up to 18 months in prison if convicted. (Vitaly Zdorovetskiy/Facebook)

Zdorovetskiy, who made a name for himself by streaking across events like the NBA Finals, climbing the Hollywood sign, and even crashing the 2022 World Cup, got in trouble during a Kick live stream in Bonifacio Global City in the Manila district.

During the stream, Vitaly was seen allegedly harassing Filipino security guards. “Vitaly engaged in multiple disruptive and inappropriate acts, including attempting to kiss and grab him (the security guard), trying to seize his service firearm, taking pictures of him without consent, mocking other security guards, and vlogging without a permit in BGC,” said Philippines Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla in a press conference.

What are the charges against Vitaly Zdorovetskiy?

Zdorovetskiy now faces three counts of unjust vexation, a criminal charge in the Philippines for causing annoyance or irritation without legal justification.

Legal Mindset, a YouTube-based legal analyst, weighed in on the situation, saying that while Vitaly’s lawyer has filed for bail, the influencer could be looking at up to 18 months behind bars if convicted. “If found guilty, he may be facing a sentence of up to 18 months, a year and a half, in the Philippines. So, this is a very important turning point,” the YouTuber explained.

“It’s been described as one of the easiest and the most simple things to prove. So, they’re starting with the simplest thing to prove, but that doesn’t prevent them from adding more later.”

Notably, reports suggest Vitaly also behaved inappropriately in Boracay, where he allegedly insulted a surfing instructor and even encouraged his followers to review-bomb the business online.

“Bail is not a right for foreigners in the Philippines,” Legal Mindset added.