YouTube Star Ray Diaz Charged With Sexual Assault After Allegedly Abusive Relationship With Teenager

YouTube personality Ray Diaz was arrested and charged with sexual assault on Friday, July 12 in [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

YouTube personality Ray Diaz was arrested and charged with sexual assault on Friday, July 12 in San Diego. The arrest followed a 17-year-old girl's interview in a viral YouTube video, in which she claimed she dated the 33-year-old Diaz for over a year. The girl also posted clips on social media allegedly showing Diaz verbally and physically abusing her.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Daz was arrested with the assistance of San Diego police. He was released on $500,000, reports PEOPLE. The LAPD said a "thorough" investigation was conducted by detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division Special Assault Section.

On July 11, the YouTube channel DramaAlert published a video called "LAPD ARREST him NOW! #DramaAlert #Metoo (Ray Diaz)" that included an interview with teenager Angelica Salek. She claimed the two were dating for over a year. Her videos allegedly showing Diaz's abusive behavior led to calls for his arrest online.

"I was just so scared always because he would yell at me always," Salek said, reports CBS News. "It was my fault if somebody would ever have any suspicions that him and I were dating. He would yell at me for hours."

Salek also claimed Diaz told her to hide in his bed when police went to his home to find her. "I had to be quiet and not make a sound," she said.

Diaz claimed the couple was acting in the clips. He said he left Los Angeles because of all the "drama."

"It's something you learn in acting class," he said in a video published by The Hollywood Fix. "It's just screaming and yelling, and I do this before every single audition with [the alleged victim] just to get the juice flowing, get the emotions flowing."

Prior to his arrest, the LAPD tweeted on July 12 that officers were aware of the disturbing claims against Diaz.

"The LAPD is aware of several social media posts related to a social media personality, alleging physical abuse and sexual relations with a minor. We take these allegations seriously. Currently, the Department has directed a group of investigators to look into these allegations," the post read.

Diaz considers himself an "entrepreneur" and has over 300,000 YouTube subscribers and 3 million Instagram followers. His most popular video, a 2017 behind-the-scenes clip with Jake Paul, has more than 2 million views.

Diaz is also an actor, appearing in 24 episodes of Hulu's East Los High. He recently appeared in a Zeus series called Sober Coach.

Photo credit: Michael Bezjian/Getty Images for Fat Sal's

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