R. Kelly was found guilty of federal sex trafficking charges
In a court proceeding in New York, R. Kelly was found guilty of federal sex trafficking charges and was given a 30-year jail term by U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly. In addition, he received a $100,000 fine and five years of supervised release.
The Chicago-based R&B singer was recommended by the prosecution to get a sentence of at least 25 years in jail, while the defense pushed for a term of 10 years or less.
Last year, a jury found 55-year-old Kelly guilty of racketeering and other charges.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer’s behavior came under renewed criticism with the 2019 airing of the “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries, in which accusers spoke openly about their interactions with him. Some claimed they were threatened with violence and forced to sign nondisclosure agreements.
Victims testified in court, some through tears, claiming that Kelly had taken advantage of them, abused them, and mislead his followers. As the victims spoke, Kelly did not make eye contact with them and instead looked straight ahead or downward while his hands were on the defense table.
A victim, identified in court as Stephanie, said Kelly had decades of remorseless freedom and said she hopes he goes to jail for the rest of his life. “You made me do things that broke my spirit…I literally wished I would die because of how you made me feel.”
A victim identified as Angela said Kelly “manipulated” millions to believe his perception of himself, and took away the voices of his victims. “Today, I and so many of your victims took it back,” she said. “Today, we sought to be heard … we are no longer preyed upon individuals.”
In the 1990s, rumors of Kelly abusing young girls started emerging. He was charged with illegal child pornography in relation to a separate girl after being sued in 1997 by a woman who claimed he had sexually assaulted and harassed her when she was still a minor. In 2008, a Chicago jury found him not guilty, and Kelly reached a settlement.
Kelly, who did not testify at the trial, has denied wrongdoing.
Over time, evidence involving the late R&B singer Aaliyah has also come to light. Witnesses claimed they wed while wearing similar jogging suits and a bogus marriage certificate that claimed she was 18 instead of 15. Kelly was 27 years old at the time. Kelly produced the music of Aaliyah, who perished in a plane tragedy in 2001.
He has been jailed without bail since 2019. He is still facing child pornography and obstruction of justice charges in Chicago. That trial is scheduled to begin in August.
Kelly’s case marks the first major prosecution in the #MeToo era on behalf of victims who are primarily women of color.