Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty sentenced for failing to register as sex offender

Petty, 44, was arrested in 2020 for violating the federal law

Maanya Sachdeva
Thursday 07 July 2022 08:31 BST
Nicki Minaj calls Wendy Williams 'demonic' for discussing her husband's past

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Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty has been sentenced to home detention and probation for failing to register as a sex offender in Los Angeles.

In 1995, Petty was convicted for the attempted first-degree rape of a 16-year-old girl one year prior. He was sentenced to between 18 and 54 months in New York state prison, serving for just under four years.

In 2006, Petty pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He ultimately served seven, while his name remains on the New York City sex offenders register.

After his wedding to the “Super Bass” singer in 2019, Petty, 44, was arrested the following year for failing to register as a sex offender in Los Angeles, California, where the couple currently reside.

At a subsequent plea hearing, Petty pleaded guilty to the federal charge and faced sentencing.

On Wednesday (6 July), Petty was sentenced to one year of home detention and five years’ probation for breaking the federal law.

He was also hit with a $55,000 (£45,986) fine.

Minaj defended Petty’s past actions on social media in 2018
Minaj defended Petty’s past actions on social media in 2018 (Getty Images)

Prosecutors for the US District Attorney’s office had argued home detention wouldn’t amount to much punishment since Petty would serve out the sentence at the Calabasas mansion where he and Minaj reside,TMZ reported.

They pressed instead for a 15-month prison sentence along with a five years’ probation, the publication reported.

In 2018, Minaj defended Petty’s past actions on social media, writing: “He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship. But go awf, internet, y’all can’t run my life. y’all can’t even run y’all own life.”

She later referred to Wendy Williams as “demonic” after the talk show host discussed Petty’s past on television.

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