Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Shahidi NewsShahidi News
    Subscribe
    • Home
    • Security
    • Courts
    • Governance
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Technology
    • World
    • Video
    • CJAK
    • Contact Us
    Shahidi NewsShahidi News
    ×
    To place your advert here, kindly call +254115512797 now to get the best rate!
    Home»Courts»R&B Singer R. Kelly Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison In Sex Case
    Courts

    R&B Singer R. Kelly Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison In Sex Case

    Shahidi News TeamBy Shahidi News TeamJune 30, 20224 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram Email
    R&B singer R. Kelly. Photo/Courtesy.
    Share
    Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram
    Views: 134

    NEW YORK, June 30 – R. Kelly was sentenced on Wednesday to 30 years in prison, following the multiplatinum R&B singer’s conviction for exploiting his stardom and wealth over decades to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex.

    The sentence was imposed nine months after Kelly, 55, was convicted of racketeering and sex crimes, in a trial that amplified accusations that had dogged the singer of the Grammy-winning hit “I Believe I Can Fly” for two decades.

    U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn federal court said the evidence reflected Kelly’s “indifference to human suffering” and “sheer brutality” toward his victims.

    “This case is not about sex. It’s about violence and cruelty and control,” Donnelly told Kelly. “You left in your wake a trail of broken lives.”

    Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is among the most prominent people convicted of sexual misbehavior during the #MeToo movement against such conduct by prominent men.

    He did not speak during Wednesday’s hearing, but has repeatedly denied sexual abuse accusations.

    After the sentence was read, his lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, told reporters Kelly was “devastated” by the sentence but that he would appeal.

    “Thirty years in prison is like a life sentence for him,” Bonjean said.

    The sentencing came after several accusers, some of whom were tearful, told the judge about how Kelly promised to mentor them and help them attain stardom, only to subject them to degrading sexual treatment and physical harm.

    Many said the abuse led to mental health problems that persist.

    “As a teenager, I didn’t know how to say no to R. Kelly when he asked me to perform oral sex on him,” said a woman identified as Jane Doe No. 2.

    Sentencing hearing for singer R. Kelly at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York
    R. Kelly stands with his lawyers Jennifer Bonjean and Ashley Cohen during his sentencing hearing for federal sex trafficking at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., June 29, 2022 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg.

    She then paused, looked at Kelly, and asked, “Do you remember that?”

    Kelly wore a black face mask and beige prison clothing to his sentencing.

    Several accusers testified during the 5-1/2 week trial about how Kelly would demand that his victims strictly obey his rules.

    These included needing his permission go to the bathroom, calling him “Daddy,” and writing “apology letters” that purported to absolve Kelly of wrongdoing, among others.

    The alleged victims included the singer Aaliyah, who prosecutors said Kelly fraudulently married when she was 15 to conceal earlier abuse. Aaliyah died in 2001.

    “This is a significant outcome for all victims of R. Kelly and especially for the survivors who so bravely testified about the horrific and sadistic abuse they endured,” Breon Peace, the top federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, told reporters after the hearing.

    He was convicted on nine criminal charges, including one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, which bars transporting people across state lines for prostitution.

    Prosecutors had urged a prison sentence of more than 25 years, saying Kelly had demonstrated a “callous disregard” for his victims and shown no remorse.

    “I never thought that I would be here to see him be held accountable for the atrocious things that he did to children,” Lizzette Martinez, one of the accusers who spoke in court, told reporters after the hearing.

    Defense lawyers said Kelly deserved no more than 10 years, the mandatory minimum, arguing that his history as an abused child may have led to his adult “hypersexuality,” and that he no longer posed a threat.

    Kelly has been in jail since July 2019.

    He will likely be transported soon to a jail in Chicago, where he faces an August trial in federal court on child pornography and obstruction charges. He also faces various state charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

    Want to send us a story? Contact Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797 (Mobile & WhatsApp)

    Share. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Telegram
    Shahidi News Team
    • Website

    Telling Crime, Security, Governance, Human Rights, and Investigative Stories. An initiative by CJAK. Contact Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797 (Mobile & WhatsApp)

    Related Posts

    Youth Groups Take the Lead in Kisumu’s Economic Empowerment Drive

    April 20, 2025

    WANTED: Police Launch Manhunt for Tana River Lands Chief Over Bribery, Abuse of Office

    April 12, 2025

    Kilifi county official arrested in bribery syndicate

    April 9, 2025

    Kenya Adopts Gender Sensitive Approach To Tame Drugs Menace

    March 12, 2025
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    An initiative by CJAK
    Banner Ad
    Latest updates
    Latest News

    DR Congo Bans Kabila’s Party Over Alleged Rebel Ties as Tensions Escalate in Goma

    By Brian ObuyaApril 20, 2025Updated:April 20, 20254 Mins Read

    The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has suspended the political party of former President Joseph…

    Crime

    Youth Groups Take the Lead in Kisumu’s Economic Empowerment Drive

    By Shahidi News TeamApril 20, 20252 Mins Read

    Youth and women groups across Kisumu County are taking the lead in reshaping their communities,…

    Latest News

    Former NTV Reporter Silas Apollo is dead

    By Brian ObuyaApril 13, 20253 Mins Read

    Silas Apollo, a former NTV journalist who was working with Nairobi Law Monthly at the…

    BREAKING NEWS

    WANTED: Police Launch Manhunt for Tana River Lands Chief Over Bribery, Abuse of Office

    By ContributorApril 12, 20252 Mins Read

    Tana River County’s Lands and Urban Planning Chief Officer, Francis Malibe,is said to have bolted…

    An initiative by CJAK
    Banner Ad

    Telling Crime, Security, Governance, Human Rights, and Investigative Stories. An initiative by CJAK.

    For Business Partnerships, Press Releases, Media Invites and General Inquiries; Contact: Editor, Shahidi News Tel: +254115512797

    Latest Posts

    DR Congo Bans Kabila’s Party Over Alleged Rebel Ties as Tensions Escalate in Goma

    April 20, 2025

    Youth Groups Take the Lead in Kisumu’s Economic Empowerment Drive

    April 20, 2025

    Former NTV Reporter Silas Apollo is dead

    April 13, 2025
    sitemap
    • Home
    • Security
    • Courts
    • Governance
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Technology
    • World
    • Video
    • CJAK
    • Contact Us
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram WhatsApp Telegram
    © 2025 Shahidi News. Designed by Okii.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.