Jelani Maraj, Brother Of Nicki Minaj, Convicted Of Sexually Assaulting A Child Under 13 Years Old


On November 9, 38-year-old Jelani Maraj, brother of rapper Nicki Minaj, was found guilty of multiple crimes related to the sexual assault of a child under 13 years old. A Nassau County jury handed down guilty verdicts on the charges of endangering the welfare of a child and predatory sexual assault on a child younger than 13 on Thursday, after more-than-a-month-long trial. When he is sentenced next month, PEOPLE reports that he could be spending 25 years to life behind bars.

Over the course of his lengthy trial, Jelani Maraj denied the allegations against him, and his legal defense team claimed that the claims against him were nothing more than a hoax concocted to extort money from his famous (and famously wealthy) sister, Nicki Minaj. According to Maraj’s defense lawyers, the family of the young victim in the case were seeking $25 million in “hush money.”

According to the case presented by Nassau County prosecutors, Jelani Maraj began sexually abusing his child victim when she was just 11 years old. Between April and November of 2015, the prosecution claimed that Maraj raped the young girl repeatedly while her mother was at work. The victim, now 14 years old, testified under oath that during the period of her abuse, Maraj referred to her as “his puppet” and told her that she had “no say” regarding what he did to her. The young sexual assault survivor added that Nicki Minaj’s brother went so far as to physically assault her if she attempted to refuse his sexual attacks and warned her that his sexual abuse was to be kept a secret.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8qDBrgBYng

In a statement, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas called Jelani Maraj’s sex crimes against a child under 13 years old “heinous acts,” adding that his conviction was a matter of justice. She went on to thank the jury in the case for reaching a guilty verdict.

“Justice demanded that this defendant be held accountable for these heinous acts and we are thankful to the jury for their careful deliberation. We hope that today’s verdict will help the family in the healing process and that it will close this terrible chapter in their lives.”

Attorneys for Jelani Maraj unsuccessfully argued that the victim was little more than her mother’s pawn in an elaborate plan to extort millions from Nicki Minaj. They further claimed that the victim had been beaten by her own mother to force her to lie under oath about being sexually abused. While the victim hasn’t been publicly named by the media, New York Daily News reports that she was Maraj’s own stepdaughter and that the sexual abuse took place in the family’s Long Island home.

During the trial, Jelani Maraj’s mother Carol testified that the victim’s mother once spoke of money in connection with her daughter’s claims of a vile and ongoing sexual assault. According to Carol Maraj, the victim’s mother once asserted that it was “gonna take a lot of money to get out of this one.” The victim’s younger brother, now just 10 years old, testified that he walked in on Maraj assaulting his older sister in 2015 and that he saw the man’s “private parts” making contact with the victim.

At that time, the older brother of rapper Nicki Minaj allegedly warned the little boy that if he told about what he saw, he would be taken away from his mother.

The jury in the Jelani Maraj case deliberated for two days before handing down a “guilty” verdict. The defendant reportedly showed no emotion in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Despite having remained free on bail since just after his 2015 arrest (the bail was reportedly posted with the backing of two of Nicki Minaj’s homes), Maraj is now behind bars at the Nassau County Jail pending next month’s sentencing hearing. It is unknown if the now-convicted child sex offender intends to appeal the guilty verdict, and his attorney has not responded to media requests for comment since the Thursday conviction.

Nicki Minaj has opted not to comment on the allegations against her older brother and has continued to remain silent following his conviction on the charges of endangering the welfare of a child and predatory sexual assault on a child younger than 13. Shortly after his 2015 arrest, however, Minaj did share a family photo featuring her brother and a praising caption on social media.

[Featured Image by Nassau County Police Department]

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