Boy George was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison for falsely imprisoning and beating a male escort in 2007. His jail term starts immediately.

The 47-year-old singer, whose real name is George O'Dowd, plead not guilty to the charge but did admit to handcuffing 29-year-old Norwegian Audun Carlsen to a wall in his London flat. George claimed he was only trying to retrieve photos that Carlsen stole from his laptop, while Carlsen claimed he was beaten with a chain before escaping, wearing only his boxers.

The judge in the case said that while the injuries to Carlsen weren't "serious or permanent," George's actions deprived Carlsen of his "liberty and human dignity." George, who also had legal trouble in New York for falsely reporting a robbery, hasn't spoken publicly about the case and offered no evidence on his own behalf in court. His brother claimed this strategy was intended to avoid upsetting their mother, who was present at the trial.