A controversial American influencer has been arrested after a confrontational incident with a sex worker in his Australian home was caught on video by his own livestream.
US video producer Paul Denino, best known online as Ice Poseidon, was doing a 24-hour livestream in Brisbane last Friday when he and two other friends hired the escort.
But she fled her hotel after receiving a tip that Denino and his English pal Sam Pepper were hiding in the bedroom while she kissed and fondled a third man.
Text messages appeared on her phone alerting her to what was happening as the older bald man, identified only as “Andy,” tried to lead her there.
The exact intent of the livestream remains unclear, but Denino revels in controversy and legalized sex work in Australia is a first in the US, where it is typically banned.
Paul Denino, known online as Ice Poseidon, livestreamed his own arrest after a video stunt involving a sex worker in Brisbane backfired and he was accused of sexual assault
The sex worker had agreed to be filmed having sex. When she arrived, she was shown a camera and told that the film would be streamed live
Denino, 29 on Friday, is known online for his incredible stunts, which led to his home being raided by the FBI and him being banned from the livestreaming platform Twitch
Denino and Pepper left the hotel shortly after the failed stunt and continued the live broadcast of their evening when the police suddenly approached them on the street and arrested them.
The pair were later released after officers spoke to the sex worker and determined “there had been a consensual encounter”, a police spokesman told Chron Australia.
Denino, 29 on Friday, is known online for his incredible stunts, which led to his home being raided by the FBI and him being banned from the livestreaming platform Twitch.
He and his large fan base – nicknamed “The Purple Army” – have been labeled toxic for their alleged misogyny, racial vilification and sexual harassment.
In June, he was arrested in Thailand and faces five years in prison for “disseminating obscene content” after he rubbed food in the face of a woman he was lap dancing for in the bar of a Bangkok hotel.
The charges were later dropped in August after he posted an apology on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The latest incident began when Denino and his entourage started a 24-hour livestream in Australia and hired the sex worker as part of the stunt.
In June he was arrested in Thailand and faced five years in prison for “disseminating obscene content” after he wore a sheer corset and fishnet stockings to a hotel bar
He was arrested after rubbing food on a woman’s face during a lap dance at the hotel’s bar in Bangkok
Denino was filmed paying the woman an extra $100 over the phone to film their sex in the city center hotel room at Brisbane’s Festival Towers on Albert Street.
When the blonde woman arrived in white pants and a T-shirt, “Andy” pointed to a camera in the room’s lounge, which he told her was livestreaming.
But Andy, wearing purple boxers and a T-shirt, made no mention of the two men lurking behind the closed bedroom door or other cameras as he paid her $550.
The couple began kissing and caressing each other on camera before he took her into the bedroom, but a text message on her phone stopped her.
She can be seen reading the message in shock and saying: “Get out, it’s a scheme.”
The man walks over to watch the screen with her and she continues reading: “There are boys hiding in the bedroom watching the live stream.”
“There are two guys in the bedroom. They’re kidding you.’
Andy points to the bedroom and says something unclear, but by then the woman has already turned around and is putting on her shoes to leave and tells him, “It’s really scary.”
The sex worker was stopped from leaving after being alerted via text message to the two other men hiding in the bedroom while Andy argued with her over the $500 refund he had given her
Denino (right) discussed what went wrong with Sam Pepper (left) and Andy after the escort fled the hotel room
As she tries to walk out the door, he demands $500 back, but she insists, “That’s creepy.”
Andy replied, “Why is it scary? It’s just you and me in there and no one else.”
She could be seen trying to leave again without saying anything more, but Andy blocked the door from opening with his foot as he demanded the money back.
The livestream footage then shows Denino standing at the door in chino shorts and a T-shirt and Andy walking in from the hotel hallway to explain that she was alerted to the stunt by the text messages.
Pepper – who has distinctive green dreadlocks – also appears in the room as Andy adds: “Someone texted her to say you two were in there planning something.”
The three then see an autopsy of the failed stunt and Denino emphasizes to Andy: “I definitely can’t hold the door.” You have to let her go.
“You can’t keep the door closed.” I was about to fly out. If you had stood there a second longer I would have wanted to run out of the room and try to sort everything out.
“But I don’t know how this would continue…”
Additional footage from 20 minutes later shows Pepper and Denino exiting the building as they walk past three police officers waiting to enter their hotel.
Just seconds later, Denino winces in pain as he is grabbed by officers on the city streets shortly after midnight.
A police officer asks them to sit on the sidewalk and tells them: “You are both currently under arrest for sexual assault.”
‘Forgiveness?’ Denino says as Pepper looks at him in disbelief. “Yes, seriously,” the officer replies. “Wait, wait, who sexually assaulted you?” says Denino in shock.
“Yeah, sure, no problem,” he says as he follows the police’s instructions to sit down. “I mean, there’s no… that’s absolutely not the case… we…”
A male officer asks him, “What’s happening upstairs in your room?”
Denino replies, “I mean, nothing… sexual assault, definitely not.”
The incident sparked outrage online. One TikTok influencer called for a complete ban, while others said it was a ploy to promote Denino’s new streaming platform.
“This guy, Ice Poseidon, got banned from Twitch because of what he does to people,” TikToker and esports gamer Avori Strib told her 835,000 followers.
“He’s a pretty terrible person… and his community is extremely toxic.”
The live streaming platform’s CEO was reportedly among the viewers who watched the incident and made laughing comments on the stream when the stunt backfired.
TikToker and esports player Avori Strib criticized Denino over the incident in front of her 835,000 followers, branding him and his followers toxic
Paul Denino later claimed he had done nothing illegal
The company – which Chron Australia declined to name – said in a statement following the dispute that it was “learning” where to draw the line.
“There is incredible untapped potential in what live streaming has to offer,” the statement said.
“We firmly believe that the greatest days of live streaming are still ahead of us.”
“With this in mind, community and public safety must not be put at risk when creating “content.”
“We are continually learning where that balance lies and making changes daily.” We thank our community for the ongoing feedback, both the good and the bad.
“We will keep you informed of any upcoming Community Guidelines changes and subsequent enforcement actions.”
Denino later claimed he had done nothing illegal.
“It wasn’t a ‘hidden camera’ and I got beaten after not being arrested,” he posted on X.
Swatting is when internet trolls make false claims to police in order to trigger an armed raid or arrest.
“It is LEGAL content that even the police wrote off as LEGAL and safe.”
But one critic responded: “Law is not always morally correct.”
Queensland Police confirmed they were taking no further action after investigating the allegations.
“Police responded to reports of a suspected sexual assault at a location along Albert Street in Brisbane City shortly after midnight on September 22,” a spokesperson told Chron Australia
“Upon arrival, police spoke to several people, including the alleged victim. It was determined that the encounter was consensual.
“The police took no further action.”