By Josh Carter
June 30, 2022
– Famous singer, Grammy awards winner, and multi-platinum songwriter R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Kelly, 55, was sentenced to 30 years Wednesday after being convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges last September.
During the sentencing, Kelly did not make a statement and had no reaction to the verdict. One of Kelly’s lawyers stated he has denied the allegations and they plan to appeal the conviction.
The beginning of Kelly’s downfall came in the form of a new Lifetime documentary called “Surviving R. Kelly” which was released back in 2019 detailing young African American women being victimized and sexually assaulted by the singer.
In 1994, a fraudulent marriage between Kelly and R&B star Aaliyah who was 15 at the time took place due to fears that Kelly impregnated the R&B Phenom.
Kelly also faced child pornography charges back in 2008 but was acquitted by a jury in Chicago.
“I hope this sentencing serves as its own testimony that it doesn’t matter how powerful, rich or famous your abuser may be or how small they make you feel justice only hears the truth,” Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said to reporters Wednesday.
Kelly was accused of making the victims commit perverted and lewd acts and had done so for years.
No stranger to victimization himself, Kelly’s upbringing was marred by prolonged sexual abuse as a child, violence, and poverty and as an adult who had “literacy problems,” the singer was repeatedly defrauded and taken advantage of often by the very people in his “camp” that was supposed to protect him.
Kelly also faces child pornography and obstruction-of-justice charges in Chicago, where a trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 15.
Sources credited: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/nyregion/r-kelly-the-disgraced-rb-superstar-is-sentenced-to-30-years.html
https://apnews.com/article/r-kelly-sentencing- df9bbb51b5f991c612108644c0e18058
Joshua Carter