Chris Brown faces jail time for purchasing illegal pet monkey

Singer Chris Brown has had another run-in with the law, this time facing criminal charges and even jail time for buying an exotic animal without a permit.

Singer Chris Brown will be walking into the new year facing criminal charges: two counts of having a restricted species without a permit.

Brown, 29, sparked controversy when he brought home a baby capuchin monkey named Fiji in late 2017, the New York Post reports.

He swiftly drew criticism after posting a video of his daughter, Royalty, then just three, with the monkey.

Chria Brown drew criticism after posting a video of his daughter, Royalty, then just three, with the monkey in 2017. Picture: Supplied

Brown fought back against naysayers crying out for the girl’s safety, claiming the monkey wasn’t for her but was his pet.

As a response to the outcry, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife launched an investigation.

Before the situation could get out of control, Brown gave up the monkey. It’s unclear where Fiji now lives.

If convicted, Brown could face up to six months in jail. He’s set to appear in court on February 6.

Chris Brown and his daughter Royalty attend the premiere Of Chris Brown: Welcome To My Life on June 6, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. Picture: Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images

A request for comment from Brown’s lawyer wasn’t immediately returned.

The Run It! singer has had many brushes with the law, his most infamous being when the singer pleaded guilty to assault his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in 2009.

He was also charged with assault in 2013, this time for hitting a man outside a hotel in Washington DC, and again in 2017 for punching a photographer working at an event Brown hosted at a Florida nightclub.

This article appeared on the New York Postand has been republished with permission.