The Grammy-winning singer R. Kelly, 55, was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking crimes in the fall of 2021. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June 2022. The Chicago native, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, committed the crimes over two decades.
Kelly is known for hits such as ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and ‘Ignition (Remix)’. He will face more sex abuse charges in courts in Illinois and Minnesota in August.
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R. Kelly Gets 30 Years In Jail For Sex Abuse
The R&B artist was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking crimes in September 2021 in New York. He faced a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. While the prosecutors had requested at least 25 years due to “the seriousness of the offenses, the need for specific deterrence and the need to protect the public from further crimes,” the judge announced a 30-year sentence for him and he said R. Kelly had an “indifference to human suffering“.
US District Judge Ann Donnelly said that Kelly had used sex as a weapon and forced his victims to do unspeakable things and saddled some with sexually transmitted diseases. The singer used his influence to lure women and children into sexual abuse over the course of two decades. “You taught them that love is enslavement and violence,” the judge said.
“You made me do things that broke my spirit. I literally wished I would die because of how low you made me feel,” said a survivor to Kelly in court. “Do you remember that?” Another woman who testified against him called him a Pied Piper who “grew in wickedness” with every new victim.
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All About R. Kelly’s Crimes
R. Kelly went to court for the first time in 2008 for child pornography charges. It was in relation to a video that allegedly showed him urinating on an underage girl. However, the girl refused to testify and Kelly was acquitted after pleading guilty and later denying the charges. But, he continued to take advantage of young girls with his celebrity status and abused many women over the years.
The book ‘Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly’ by Chicago reporter Jim DeRogatis and ‘Surviving R. Kelly’ documentary series shed a light on his sex crimes once again and the #MeToo movement emboldened survivors to speak up against him, sending Kelly back to court to face trial.
R. Kelly was finally arrested in 2019 on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, to which he pleaded not guilty. In July of the same year, he was indicted by federal authorities on charges of racketeering and conspiracy. He apparently created a system of henchmen to get girls for him to abuse and transport etc.
During the trial, late singer Aaliyah’s case of being sexually abused by Kelly was also brought up. She was just 14 when he forced her into an illegal marriage made possible by fraudulent documents. The jury found him guilty on all counts. However, Kelly’s lawyers intend to appeal the verdict soon.
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