Nicki Minaj’s husband, Kenneth Petty, has pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in California.
As Pitchfork reports, federal court documents show Petty had initially pleaded not guilty to the single-count indictment in March 2020, but later formally changed his plea on Thursday (September 9). He is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2022.
Authorities in Beverly Hills first arrested Petty in November 2019 after learning that he had moved from New York to California, and that he failed to submit his sex offender status in the process. He was subsequently released on a $20,000 bail.
However, it was learned he was still facing similar federal charges upon another arrest in March 2020.
Pitchfork added, per the New York State’s Sex Offender Registry, that offenders must notify the Division of Criminal Justice Services within 10 days of any change of address.
The charge stems from a 1995 case, where Petty was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in New York after pleading guilty. He served four years in prison following the incident.
The victim, Jennifer Hough, also filed a lawsuit against Petty and Minaj in August this year. Hough has accused the couple of harassment and witness intimidation. She is allegedly suing Petty for sexual assault in relation to the 1995 conviction.
TMZ reported in August that Petty is suing the State of New York and its Criminal Justice Services division to try to have his name removed from the sex offender registry, according to legal documents.