Nicki Minaj’s Husband Sentenced to Home Detention in Sex Offender Case
Written by SOURCE on July 7, 2022
Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, has been sentenced for failing to register as a sex offender.
The 44-year-old Queens native pleaded guilty to the charge back in 2020, admitting he neglected to register in California after moving to Los Angeles with Minaj in 2019. He initially faced a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for the crime; however, Rolling Stone reports Petty was sentenced Wednesday to one year of in-home confinement and three years of probation. He was also reportedly ordered to pay a $55,000 fine.
“I take full responsibility for whatever happens today,” he said prior to the sentencing. “I’m ashamed, embarrassed and disrespected my wife’s brand. There are no excuses, I broke the law. I thank you for giving me the chance to speak, to apologize.”
Though Minaj did not attend the sentencing hearing, she wrote a letter in defense of her husband, explaining how a prison sentence would negatively affect their family.
“I have no doubt my son would be traumatized if his father would be taken out of his life,” she wrote in the letter that was read in court. “I’ve known Kenneth Petty for over 20 years, when I first met him I knew he needed guidance… I’ve seen his genuine evolution first hand.”
Petty and Minaj tied the knot in 2019, and welcomed their first child together in 2020.
Petty is required to register as a level 2 sex offender whenever he moves to a new state. The order stems from his 1995 conviction for the first-degree attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl in NYC. Petty, who ultimately served four years in prison for the crime, tried to have his name removed from NY’s Sex Offender Registry, arguing he was never given a chance to challenge the level 2 designation. His efforts were unsuccessful, meaning he’ll have to register for the rest of his life.
In August 2021, Petty’s alleged victim filed a lawsuit against him and Minaj, alleging harassment and witness intimidation. Jennifer Hough claimed the couple were pressuring her to recant her allegations. The accuser voluntarily dropped the suit earlier this year.
