Boy George, whose given name is George O'Dowd, was found guilty of the charges by a London court on Dec. 5 and returned Jan. 16 for sentencing, the Associated Press reported. Judge David Radford said O'Dowd, 47, was guilty of "gratuitous violence," and sentenced the performer to 15 months in an East London prison. The sentencing stems from an April 28, 2007, incident where the performer restrained Audun Carlsen, a hired escort, against his will when he suspected that Carlsen had taken files from his personal computer.

Boy George rose to fame in the 1980's when he joined Michael Craig and John Moss to form the group Culture Club. His hit songs include "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me." The short-lived 2003 musical Taboo, for which he penned the score and appeared as Leigh Bowery, was produced on Broadway by Rosie O'Donnell. Boy George was Tony-nominated for his score to the musical.