By Aaron Miller-
Kenneth Petty, husband of rapper Nicki Minaj was arrested Wednesday by United States Marshals for failing to register as a sex offender.
The indictment follows an arrest by Beverly Hills police after a traffic stop in November, in which it was determined that Petty was a registered sex offender in New York state but failed to register in California as required. Petty would later be released on $20,000 bail.
The original charge stems from a 1995 conviction for first-degree attempted rape for a 1994 incident with a 16-year-old girl. Petty was 16 at the time as well and he served almost four years in prison in the case.
In a November episode of Queen Radio, Nicki defended her husband stating that he was wrongfully accused and that his alleged accuser tried to recant her statement against him.
The indictment states:
“Beginning on or about July 14, 2019, and continuing through on or about November 15, 2019, in Los Angeles County, within the Central District of California, and elsewhere, defendant Kenneth Petty, an individual who was required to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), as a result of being convicted of Attempted Rape in the First Degree, in violation of New York Penal Code Section 110-130.35, a felony, on or about April 5, 1995, in the Supreme Court for the State of New York, Queen County, case number 4521-94, and having, after said conviction, traveled in interstate commerce, knowingly failed to register as a sex offender as required by SORNA.”
. TMZ confirmed that the 41 year old remains in federal custody after he turned himself in to the Marshals during a court appearance today.