Last week, it was reported that Desiigner must register as a sex offender after being sentenced for indecent exposure during a flight, but his lawyer revealed that those claims were false.
The “Panda” hitmaker, whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, fined $5,000 and will remain on probation for two years after he pleaded guilty for masturbating in the presence of flight attendants during a trip from Tokyo to Minneapolis back in April. He is also prohibited from owning or possessing firearms and must participate in psychiatric evaluation and drug testing.
“Regarding the issue of Mr. Selby registering as a sex offender, many news outlets have incorrectly stated that he is required to register as an absolute condition of his probation. They are wrong,” Ryan Garry told PEOPLE. “Since this was a federal misdemeanor, the sentencing judgement states that if the state of California or some other government entity requires that Mr. Selby must register as a sex offender, then he must.”
The attorney continued, “However, the parties in this case have come to the legal conclusion, after significant research and consultation with lawyers in California, that this misdemeanor conviction is not one that will cause Mr. Selby to have to register as a sex offender. If some government agency in California disagrees with our analysis, then we will address the matter at that point in time.”
As previously reported by REVOLT, shortly after the incident, Desiigner took to Instagram to explain what happened. He also revealed that he’d been battling mental health issues. “For the past few months, I have not been okay, and I have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “While overseas for a concert I performed at, I had to be admitted into a hospital. I was not thinking clearly.”
The 26-year-old continued, “They gave me meds and I had to hop on a plane home. I am ashamed of my actions that happened on that plane. I landed back to the States and am admitting myself in a facility to help me. I will be canceling all of my shows and any obligations until further notice. Mental health is real guys, please pray for me. If you’re not feeling like yourself, please get help.”