Nicki Minaj ‘s brother has been jailed for 25 years to life after being found guilty of child rape.
Jelani Maraj was sentenced in a New York court today by Judge Robert McDonald, years after the guilty verdict was reached, reports TMZ.
Maraj was found guilty of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child in a trial that lasted less than three weeks.
Back in 2017, the rapper, whose real name is Onika Maraj-Petty, visited her brother while he was locked up.
Nicki didn’t testify during the trial despite claims made by her brother’s defence team that she would.
Maraj was actually found guilty in November 2017.
(Image: Nassau Police/Splash News)
He was told them that he was facing 25 years in jail but it was reported at the time that his lawyer had planned to appeal the jury’s decision.
He was found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl over a period of eight months.
He was arrested and charged in 2015, and entered a plea of not guilty in May 2017.
According to reports in the New York Daily News at the time, Maraj showed no emotion as he was convicted of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child.
(Image: PA)
The victim, aged 14 at the time of the trial, testified that on one occasion he assaulted her anally, and her younger brother also gave evidence, revealing that he witnessed one attack.
The defence claimed the charges were brought by the girl’s mum in a bid to demand £25 million hush money from singer Minaj.
However, DNA evidence found on the girl’s pyjama bottoms proved to be a one-in-291 billion match with Maraj.
He was remanded in custody while awaiting sentencing.
In November 2017, it was also reported that Nicki had been to visit her brother in prison for the first time.
It was said that the rapper had not had a close relationship with her brother since the charges were brought against him, but that she made an exception in order to support her mother, Carol, who wanted to visit her son.
