(Photo : Nassau County Police via USA Today)


For a few years now, the brother of international rapper Nicki Minaj, Jelani Maraj, has been fighting a battle in court. Way back in 2015, Nicki Minaj's older brother gained notoriety after being accused of sexually assaulting his 11-year-old stepdaughter.

After four years of trial, the court finally handed down their verdict. Jelani Maraj, now 41, was found guilty of raping the 11-year-old victim and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. This news was confirmed on Monday by the deputy communications director Miriam Sholder of the Nassau County District Attorney's Office. 

Way back in November of 2017, Nicki Minaj's brother was already convicted of predatory sexual assault and child endangerment. In a highly-publicized trial, the 11-year-old victim revealed the harrowing details of how her stepfather sexually assaulted her over the course of almost a year.

According to a USA Today report, Maraj took advantage of the victim whenever she was unsupervised. When her mother was at work, Maraj took this opportunity to rape the victim at his residence in Baldwin, Long Island.

Moreover, the victim claimed that the incident happened not just once, but countless times. Whenever her mother was at work, Maraj would force her to the bedroom to have intercourse with him.

"I had went to him to go say 'Good morning.' I had hugged him as usual. I went to go lie next to him as I usually do. When I did that, he told me to go close the door. He told me to take off my pants. Then he told me to come under the covers with him and he started caressing me... We would have sex in his bedroom, in my bedroom, in the basement."

According to the victim, who remains to be unnamed, she was subjected to this nightmarish experience up to four times a week, and sometimes even twice a day. The repeated sexual assault allegedly lasted over the span of eight months.

What's more disturbing was the fact that her 8-year-old brother also witnessed this traumatizing incident. The younger brother was able to testify in front of the jurors, claiming he witnessed one of the assaults with his own eyes. Many believed that his testimony helped to further implicate Maraj.

Maraj threatened the victim and her brother that they would be separated from their mother if they ever tell anyone. During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence pointing to Maraj. His DNA was found present on the victim's pajama bottoms.

At first, Maraj's representative asked for a minimum sentence of 10 years to life. In spite of the verdict, they plan to appeal. Maraj also requested for a second chance on Monday, citing his declining health due to alcohol problems. According to his lawyer, his client was also suffering from gout, hypothermia, and anemia.

As of now, Nicki Minaj is yet to comment on this matter. During the trial, Maraj's defense team claimed that Nicki Minaj will stand in court to defend her brother. However, the singer never stepped foot in the trial, which was held at Long Island, New York.

In the past, Maraj's side claimed that the whole issue was orchestrated by the girl's mother, who wanted to get $25 million settlement money from his rapper sister.