Swiss-born internet artist Shaddai Prejean, known online as Shadman, was arrested on October 26, 2021, by the Glendale Police Department in Los Angeles County and charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon under California Penal Code Section 245(a)(1).1Business Insider. Shadman Shaddai Prejean Arrested in Los Angeles The case has been suspended since two days after his arrest while the court evaluates whether he is mentally competent to stand trial, and no final disposition has been publicly recorded.2UniCourt. Prejean Shaddai Case Record
The Charges
Section 245(a)(1) covers assault committed with any weapon other than a firearm, or by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury. It is a wobbler, meaning prosecutors can file it as a felony or a misdemeanor. As a felony it carries two, three, or four years in state prison. As a misdemeanor the ceiling is one year in county jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.3FindLaw. California Penal Code Section 245 Prejean was charged at the felony level on two counts.
The underlying incident has never been described publicly. Neither the alleged victim’s identity nor the weapon involved appears in police statements or the available court filings.4Yahoo Sports Canada. Internet Artist Known as Shadman Arrested
Why the Case Was Paused
Charging documents were filed on October 28, 2021, at the Glendale Courthouse of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Prejean did not appear. His attorney declared a doubt as to his mental competence, and the court opened proceedings under Penal Code Section 1368, filing a competency referral order the same day.2UniCourt. Prejean Shaddai Case Record
Section 1368 requires a formal inquiry whenever there is reason to believe a defendant cannot understand the proceedings or assist in their own defense.4Yahoo Sports Canada. Internet Artist Known as Shadman Arrested Once that inquiry begins, the criminal case is suspended. It cannot resume until the defendant is either found competent or, after treatment, restored to competency.5California Courts. California Rule of Court 4.130
Bail and Current Status
Prejean posted bail on November 10, 2021, and was released.1Business Insider. Shadman Shaddai Prejean Arrested in Los Angeles He appeared in court on November 19, 2021, for further proceedings tied to the competency evaluation. His bail status was reaffirmed at repeated hearings through at least November 2022, with docket entries continuing to reference the Section 1368 proceedings. The public case record was last updated on December 21, 2022, and lists no resolution.2UniCourt. Prejean Shaddai Case Record
How the Arrest Became Public
The arrest itself was not reported at the time. Booking documents surfaced roughly two weeks later, on November 11, 2021, when the internet forum Kiwi Farms posted them, and speculation spread across social media from there. On November 18, after weeks of silence, Prejean posted on Twitter: “No time to explain, dont worry bout me, am better than you have and always will be, am pro, See ya dont wanna be ya.”4Yahoo Sports Canada. Internet Artist Known as Shadman Arrested He was in court the next day.
Who Shadman Is
Prejean, born in Switzerland, began posting under the name Shadman in 2009 on Newgrounds and launched his own site, Shadbase, later that year. His following grew large across Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. The work was sexually explicit, often drawing on animated characters from mainstream media and on political figures, and he became particularly known for producing lolicon content. In a July 2019 blog post he said he would stop creating that material.4Yahoo Sports Canada. Internet Artist Known as Shadman Arrested That long-running controversy is why the booking paperwork spread as quickly as it did once it hit the internet.