R Kelly gets 30 years prison sentence over sex trafficking charges

Singer R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in jail. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Wednesday, Multi-platinum R&B artist R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in jail after being convicted of sex trafficking last year for using his fame and fortune to attract women and young girls for sex for over a quarter-century.

Kelly, 55, was convicted in Brooklyn federal court last September after a 5-and-a-half-week trial that bolstered allegations that had hounded the Grammy-winning singer since the early 2000s.

Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is among the most notable individuals convicted of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement. He has constantly denied allegations of sexual abuse.

For his conviction on charges of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting persons across state lines for prostitution, prosecutors said Kelly should serve more than 25 years in jail. They claimed he had a "callous disregard" for his victims and lacked remorse.

Kelly's attorneys argued that he should serve no more than the minimum of ten years, stating that his childhood maltreatment may have contributed to his adult "hypersexuality" and that he no longer posed a threat.

Several of Kelly's abuse victims testified at his trial that he required his victims to strictly adhere to regulations such as having his permission to eat or use the restroom, calling him "Daddy," and drafting "apology letters" that purported to clear him of wrongdoing.

In addition to facing state charges in Illinois and Minnesota, Kelly faces federal accusations in Chicago for child pornography and obstruction.

Publish : 2022-06-30 09:28:00

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