R. Kelly Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Case
Nine months after a Brooklyn jury found R. Kelly guilty on all nine counts in his sex trafficking case in federal court, the singer has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
On June 29, a judge announced the singer’s sentence in a Brooklyn federal court, which came nine months after a jury found him guilty on all nine counts in his sexual abuse trial. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and a $100,000 fine.
The charges—which involved six female victims, inclusive of the late singer Aaliyah (who married R. Kelly in 1994 when she was 15 years old)—included racketeering, bribery, coercion, enticement and sex trafficking.
The 55-year-old, born Robert Kelly, has denied any wrongdoing and previously pleaded not guilty to all counts against him. The accusations against him span from at least 1992 to 2017.
In a filing from early June, per the outlet, prosecutors said R. Kelly used his “fame, money and popularity” to “prey upon children and young women for his own sexual gratification.”
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Over the course of the highly publicized trial that began in federal court in Brooklyn last August, prosecutors called on dozens of witnesses to testify, including female and male accusers who claimed they were groomed for sex and endured psychological abuse while they were underage.
In court papers filed by the singer’s attorneys, they contended that he should get a break in his sentencing judgement, partly due to him experiencing a “traumatic childhood involving severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence.”
In January 2019, allegations against the singer were met with renewed attention following the premiere of Lifetime’s docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly. The six-part feature, which included claims from a number of accusers, led to public calls for an official investigation.
R. Kelly has been behind bars since his arrest in July 2019. Per NBC News, the performer is still facing child pornography and obstruction of justice charges in Chicago. His trial for that case is set to begin August 15.
Source: E! Online
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Abeeb Lekan Sodiq is a Managing Editor & Writer at theafricandream.net. He is as well a Graphics Designer and also known as Arakunrin Lekan.
