MUMBAI: Rapper Nicki Minaj’s brother Jelani Maraj has been convicted of raping his stepdaughter when she was 11 years old.
Maraj was found guilty by a jury here on Thursday after a three-week trial with a shocking testimony from the victim about the abuse and more than two days of jury deliberation, reports aceshowbiz.com.
Jelani didn’t show any emotion when the verdict was announced. He was indicted on predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. He faces 15 years to life in prison.
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Jelani was arrested on 1 December 2015 on allegations that he repeatedly abused his stepdaughter who was only 11 then. He first attacked her in April 2015, four months before he married the girl’s mother in a $30,000 wedding which was paid for by Minaj.
According to reports, he raped the young girl four times a week and sometimes twice a day when they were alone at home.
The girl, now 14, testified that he also forced her to do anal sex, slapped her and warned her not to tell anyone. He was exposed after the girl’s younger brother caught him red-handed.
Minaj, who posted her brother’s $100,000 bail back in 2015, did not testify during the trial despite reports suggesting otherwise. She also kept mum on her brother’s conviction.
