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Nicki Minaj's husband arrested for failing to register as a sex offender

Kenneth Petty, 41, moved to the state in July 2019 and was supposed to register as a sex offender due to his conviction for first-degree attempted rape in New York in April 1995.
Image: Marc Jacobs Fall 2020 Runway Show - Arrivals
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty attend the Marc Jacobs Fall 2020 runway show during New York Fashion Week on Feb. 12, 2020 in New York.Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for Marc Jacobs

Nicki Minaj's husband was arrested and indicted for failing to register as a sex offender in California.

Kenneth Petty turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday, the U.S. Marshals said in a tweet.

The 41-year-old appeared in court in Los Angeles on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. He was released from federal custody on a $100,000 bond.

A trial date has been set for April.

The incident stems from a November traffic stop in Beverly Hills when authorities learned that Petty failed to register his sex offender status after moving from New York to California. He was arrested at the time and released after posting $20,000 bail, online jail records show.

Petty could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

According to court documents filed last week in California, Petty relocated to the state in July 2019 and as required by law was supposed to register as a sex offender as a result of being convicted of first-degree attempted rape in New York in April 1995.

Petty was 16 at the time of the crime, the same age as the victim. He was released after serving nearly four years in state prison, New York records show.

Minaj revealed on Instagram in October that she and Petty had wed. "Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty 10•21•19," the Grammy-nominated rapper captioned a video showing off custom "Mr." and "Mrs." coffee mugs on a table with a white "Bride" baseball hat and black "Groom" hat."