Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty has been arrested for failing to register as a sex offender, TMZ reports and documents viewed by Pitchfork confirm. Petty was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1995, New York state records show. Petty, who was 16 years old at the time of the crime, served time in prison for the offense.
According to the felony complaint, Petty moved to California in July 2019 but did not register as a sex offender within five working days of moving. Guidelines from New York State’s Sex Offender Registry indicate that an offender must notify the Division of Criminal Justice Services within 10 days of any change of address. Petty was reportedly pulled over in Beverly Hills in November 2019, at which point officials became aware that he had not registered as a sex offender in California. According to TMZ, Petty was arrested and released on $20,000 bond.
Petty is facing a charge of failing to register initially or after an address change. According to TMZ, Petty has pleaded not guilty and has had his travel restricted. He is due in Los Angeles County Superior Court this Friday, March 6. Another hearing is scheduled for March 23.
Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Nicki Minaj.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence and need to talk, we recommend these resources:
RAINN
https://rainn.org
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
https://www.facebook.com/crisistextline (chat support)
SMS: Text “HERE” to 741-741
