Wednesday, U.S. prosecutors stated that R. Kelly, a multiplatinum R&B musician accused of sex trafficking, deserves to spend more than 25 years in prison.
Prosecutors stated in a court statement in Brooklyn that Kelly used his fame and fortune to entice women and young girls for sex over a quarter-century, displaying "callous disregard" for his victims and no remorse.
Indeed, the defendant's decades of criminal activity appear to have been fueled by narcissism and a belief that his musical talent absolved him of any obligation to conform to his behavior - regardless of how predatory, harmful, humiliating, or abusive, it was to others - to the law, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors stated that Kelly, 55, who has been incarcerated since 2019 and represents a "serious danger" to the public, justifies putting him behind bars until well into his 70s.
Kelly's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, believes he should serve less than 14 years in prison and will explain in a document following Monday why his "history and characteristics" warrant a shorter sentence.
The office of Bonjean declined to respond.
Robert Sylvester Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, faces a minimum 10-year sentence during his sentencing on June 29.
He is one of the most prominent individuals convicted of sexual misconduct during the #MeToo movement against such behavior by powerful men.
Kelly's 5-and-a-half-week trial bolstered allegations that had plagued him since the early 2000s.
The testimony of 45 government witnesses, including some of Kelly's assault victims, depicted in vivid detail an unsavory aspect of a musical career highlighted by the Grammy-winning single "I Believe I Can Fly." in 1996.
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According to witnesses, Kelly demanded that his victims strictly adhere to regulations such as requiring his permission to eat or use the restroom, calling him "Daddy," and producing "apology letters" purporting to forgive him of any wrongdoing.
"The defendant severely physically and psychologically scarred all of his victims repeatedly and consistently," stated prosecutors. The government has little doubt that the defendant would commit another crime if given the opportunity.
The majority of the case hinged on charges involving six women.
Prosecutors alleged that Kelly fraudulently married the singer Aaliyah when she was 15 to conceal abuse from when she was 12 or 13. Aaliyah died in 2001.
On September 27, 2012, jurors required a little over a day to convict Kelly on all nine charges against him.
The allegations included racketeering and eight counts of breaking the Mann Act, which forbids transporting individuals for prostitution across state lines.
Since #MeToo began in 2017, many of Kelly's accusers were black, distinguishing his conviction from that of comedian Bill Cosby and film producer Harvey Weinstein. Last June, Cosby's conviction was reversed.
Kelly has frequently rejected allegations of sexual abuse. In addition, he faces federal claims of child pornography and obstruction in Chicago and state courts in Illinois and Minnesota.