Per The Independent, Jelani Maraj - the brother of singer and rapper Nicki Minaj - has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping a child.
Maraj was found guilty of "predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child" in a New York court yesterday (January 27), following his 2017 conviction. Maraj was originally arrested and charged back in 2015.
More on this story in the video below:Maraj was also given a 364-day sentence for the endangerment of a child.
The victim - who was 11 years old at the time if the assaults - testified in court, detailing that Maraj would rape her up to four times a week and sometimes twice a day. She also revealed how the attacks left her "feeling like she had no voice" and prone to anxiety attacks.
In response, Nassau County Supreme Court judge Robert McDonald said that Maraj had "ruined a child" with his actions.
Maraj apologized for his actions, blaming alcohol abuse for his crimes: "I’d like to apologize for the pain that I caused. I had an excessive drinking problem."
Maraj's sister, popstar Nicki Minaj (real name, Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty), was not present at the trial, but a letter written in 2016 by the 'Anaconda' singer was read to the judge, in which she described her brother as "patient, kind, and gentle".
Speaking to Pitchfork, Maraj's lawyer, David M. Schwartz, described the sentence as "excessive", saying: "We will be appealing this excessive sentence. There was clear juror misconduct amongst other issues."