Grammy-nominated Louisiana rapper Mystikal was recently arrested on rape charges for the second time in nearly a decade and is currently being held without bond.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office announced that Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, was arrested on rape and false imprisonment charges on July 31 and held in jail without bond. His bond hearing is reportedly scheduled for Aug. 2, as he’s currently facing charges of first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery, false imprisonment and simple criminal damage to property,
“He was arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail. This is an ongoing investigation. Further details may be limited at this time,” Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Donovan Jackson said.
Ascension Parish Sheriff Bobby Webre said authorities responded to Baton Rouge hospital in reference to a sexual assault that was reported on July 30. After interviewing a victim who “sustained minor injuries during the attack,” Mystikal was identified as the suspect.
An arrest warrant detailing the alleged assault indicated that Mystikal accused an associate of stealing $100 cash from him before punching her, pulling braids out of her hair, choking her and taking her phone and keys to prevent her from leaving. She said the Louisiana rapper also went through bizarre mood swings, as he allegedly scolded her for the missing money and then became “very apologetic” as he asked her to pray with him. At that point, Mystikal allegedly asked if he could “feel” her and when she refused his advances, he pushed her on a bed and raped her. She added that he demanded she “return” the missing $100 via Cashapp and gave her phone back but he allegedly snatched it and sent $150 to himself instead. Finally, the rapper gave the victim her phone again and allowed her to leave. The alleged victim drove to the hospital, where a sexual assault kit was performed on her. Deputies reportedly found that the injuries she sustained were consistent with her description of the alleged attack.
Back in 2017, Mystikal was indicted on rape and kidnapping charges and “spent 18 months in jail before being released on a $3 million bond.”
Caddo Parish District Attorney in Louisiana dropped the charges after a second grand jury declined to bring an indictment. The musician had previously served six years in prison after pleading guilty to sexual battery and extortion in 2003 for forcing his then-hairstylist “to perform sex acts on him and two bodyguards” after she allegedly cashed thousands of dollars worth of unauthorized checks from his account.
In 2010, Mystikal was reportedly registered as a sex offender.
