Leandro Lehart, from Art Popular, is sentenced to 9 years for rape and false imprisonment

Singer and songwriter Leandro Lehart, 50, lead singer of the group Art Popular, was sentenced by the São Paulo Court of Justice to 9 years and seven months in prison for rape and false imprisonment of a woman, in October 2019. judge on September 9 and the artist can appeal the sentence in freedom.

The complaint against the singer was made by a woman with whom he had a relationship, according to the Public Ministry of São Paulo. The victim said, in a report to the Justice, that the two had few meetings and in the last one there was rape and false imprisonment for a few hours at the singer’s house, in São Paulo. She did not seek protective order against Lehart because she had no further contact after the sexual abuse.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the victim took a long time to make the complaint and in the middle of that time there was the Covid pandemic, which ended up delaying the decision of the Justice. But the woman presented exchanges of Whatsapp messages with Lehart that prove the facts. Despite denying the allegations, the singer did not present anything that could support his version, according to the Public Ministry.

As Lehart was not arrested in the act, has no criminal record and has attended all court hearings, the Prosecutor’s Office informed that he has the right to appeal the decision in freedom. The period for the defendant to appeal starts from the moment he is summoned. Until Thursday (15), the singer’s defense had not filed the request, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.

Wanted by the report F5the singer did not respond until the publication of the article.

Leart became famous in the 1990s with the pagode group Art Popular who had success with the songs “Pimpolho” and “Agamamou”. He also participated in the reality show Casa dos Artistas (SBT), in 2001, and was director of CCSP (Centro Cultural São Paulo), from May 2021 to February this year.