Nicki Minaj’s husband  pleads guilty to failing to register as a sex offender
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Nicki Minaj’s husband pleads guilty to failing to register as a sex offender

Kenneth Petty, the husband of pop star Nicki Minaj, has pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to register as a sex offender in the State of California, federal records show. Petty was arrested on the charge in March 2020 and initially pleaded ‘not guilty’. Records also display that Petty agreed to a plea deal in August this year (2021). 

Now, on September 9th, he entered the guilty plea. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, January 24th, 2022. No comments have been made by the couple or their legal representatives over the matter. 

Per the federal indictment, Kenneth Petty moved to California back 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 stipulate that an offender must notify the Division of Criminal Justice Services within ten days of any inter-state change of address. 

In 1995, Petty was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in New York, when he and the plaintiff, Jennifer Hough, were both 16 at the time. He originally served time in prison for the offence. Now, Petty and Nicki Minaj are being sued by Hough over the assault. 

Hough is claiming for sexual assault and battery by Petty, in relation to the 1994 incident. Furthermore, she is suing the couple for emotional distress, harassment and witness intimidation. 

The New York Times reports that the lawsuit argues that the couple undertook a pattern of harassment against her. This includes reaching out to Hough directly, offering her large sums of money by proxies and sending employees to her house unannounced. The harassment forced her to move addresses in August 2020. 

Concurrently, according to TMZ, Petty is suing the State of New York and its Criminal Justice Services in an attempt to have his name removed from the sex offender registry. This is an ongoing story. 

Watch Minaj on Fallon, below.