Rapper’s Aria Las Vegas Rape Case Widens as More Women Come Forward

Two more women have come forward alleging they were sexually assaulted by Sky Balla, the Bay Area rapper already charged in a 2021 assault at the Aria resort in Las Vegas, according to KLAS-TV.

The 45-year-old, real name Sky Nathan Branklyn, was arrested in Las Vegas in 2021 after a woman reported a violent assault that prosecutors said began after an encounter at the Aria resort’s High Limit Lounge.

Branklyn was subsequently charged with two counts of sexual assault resulting in substantial bodily harm, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of battery by strangulation with intent to commit sexual assault.

Aria Allegations

According to the arrest report, the woman in the Aria case told police she met a man who introduced himself only as “Sky” at a bar inside the casino. She said they shared several shots together, after which she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she was in a hotel room, in extreme pain, and said the man was on top of her sexually assaulting her. She told investigators that when she tried to resist and told him to stop, he struck her in the face until she blacked out again.

The woman reported regaining consciousness a second time to find the man attempting to force himself into her mouth, the report states.

She eventually managed to crawl to the bathroom, where she stayed in the dark for about two hours before telling the man she needed to go home. According to police, he then ordered her an Uber.

Branklyn has pleaded not guilty, and the case is set to go to trial in February. Prosecutors say the two additional women have provided statements describing encounters with Branklyn that bear striking similarities to the Aria case. According to KLAS-TV, both women told police their interactions with the rapper began consensually but turned violent.

Prolific Sex Offender?

Branklyn has worked in the Bay Area rap scene since the early 2000s, releasing independent projects and collaborating with regional artists, though he never achieved national success.

His criminal history spans more than two decades. Court records show prior convictions for sexual battery in Hayward, California, in 2002 and rape by force in Huntington Beach in 2008. He is listed as a registered sex offender in California. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported a 2006 incident in Las Vegas in which a woman declined to pursue charges.

He remains held in Clark County custody pending trial. His attorneys have not publicly commented on the recent allegations.