Who is Nicki Minaj's boyfriend Kenneth Petty, and why is he a registered sex offender?

Nicki Minaj recently started dating a new boyfriend, Kenneth Petty. Petty is a sex offender and fans are shocked that they are together.

By Molly Given, Metro

Nicki Minaj has never been one to care about what fans on social media say, or listen to negative gossip against her or someone she loves. But her new beau has certainly given people something to talk about, and the Chun-Li singer is not here for it. Who is Nicki Minaj's new boyfriend Kenneth Petty?

Who is Nicki Minaj's boyfriend Kenneth Petty, and why is he a registered sex offender?
Minaj recently celebrated her 36th birthday in Turks and Caicos with friends and her new man, Kenneth Petty. The songstress debuted her relationship with two photos on Instagram, one photo had a caption from Adele's 2015 hit song Hello. “Did you ever make it out of that town where nothing ever happens?…it’s no secret…that the both of us…are running out of time,” Minaj wrote. Minaj and Petty both have ties to Queens, so the caption could be relating to that.

Kenneth "Zoo" Petty has to be registered as a sex offender for life since he is a level two registered sex offender in New York, which essentially means he’s considered a “moderate risk of repeat offense.” The occurrence that gave Petty his offender status happened in September of 1994.

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According to online records from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services, a 16-year-old girl accused Petty of attempted rape and he was convicted in April of 1995. The report also claims that Kenneth Petty used a "sharp object " when attempting the rape, and fans are understandably shook. Petty served almost four years in a New York state prison for the attempted rape, but it wasn't too long before he was back behind bars. Petty reportedly served another seven years for a first-degree manslaughter conviction before being released from prison in 2013.

After Minaj posted the pic of her and her uh, interesting boyfriend, the music superstar turned off her comments. However, Minaj did have time to respond to one user who had posted her own opinion on the whole matter. The user wrote, "Wait y'all calling this man a rapist but it happened in 1994, meaning he was 16 or 17 & the girl was a 16 year old."  The user also said that the accuser must "have been a white girl."

Minaj responded to the comment saying ""He was 15, she was 16 … in a relationship. But go awf, Internet. Y’all can’t run my life. Y’all can’t even run y’all own life. Thank you boo."