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Rapper Mystikal has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to rape.
Local ABC affiliate WBRZ reported that Mystikal (real name Michael Tyler) appeared in court on Tuesday, June 16, to receive his sentencing. The rapper, 55, was accused of raping a woman in his Prairieville, Louisiana, home back in 2022, to which he pleaded guilty.
The victim, whose name has not been publicly revealed, appeared in court on Tuesday, asking the court to impose the maximum sentence. While addressing the judge, the woman claimed that Mystikal “choked her, pulled braids out of her hair and forcibly raped her.”
After she spoke, Mystikal told the court, “If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence.”
Mystikal received 20 years for third-degree rape — five years less than the maximum punishment allowed by law.
In 2022, Mystikal was arrested for first-degree rape and false imprisonment. Earlier this year, the “Shake Ya Ass” musician agreed to a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to lesser charges of third-degree rape.
WBRZ reported that Mystikal filed a motion last week to withdraw his plea because he “did not have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences” and that Mystikal was “under significant emotional distress and felt substantial pressure to make an immediate decision.” The motion was dismissed by the judge.
This is not the first time Mystikal has had a run-in with the law. In 2003, the “Danger (Been So Long)” performer was accused of sexually assaulting his hairstylist. He ultimately pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion. The following year, Mystikal was sentenced to six years in state prison. Mystikal was released in 2010 and was required to register as a sex offender.
In 2012, Mystikal was arrested again for misdemeanor domestic abuse charges. He was detained for nine days before being released on bail. Mystikal was ultimately given a three-month sentence for violating the terms of his probation following his release from prison two years prior.
Five years later, a warrant was issued for Mystikal’s arrest. He turned himself in to the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department where he was subsequently charged with rape. Mystikal was held on a $3 million bond until February 2019, when he was able to post bond. However, the charges were ultimately dropped.
Mystikal rose to fame in the early ‘90s as a rapper. He signed a deal with Big Boy Records before releasing his self-titled album in 1994. Mystikal is also a member of the group 504 Boyz.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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