Disgraced After being found guilty on all nine counts in a notorious sex trafficking case, R&B artist Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in jail on Wednesday. In Brooklyn, New York, the US District Judge Ann Donnelly sentenced Kelly after hearing from several of his victims who spoke to him during the court and related their stories.
Who is R Kelly?
Robert Sylvester Kelly is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer, also known as “The King of R&B,” “The King of Pop-Soul,” and the “Pied Piper of R&B.”
55 year old Kelly is recognised for helping to redefine R&B and hip hop as a recording artist.
“I Believe I Can Fly” singer won 3 Grammy Awards for his song.
Kelly is accused of sexually assaulting young fans
According to NBC News, Judge Donnelly addressed Kelly as he read the decision, noting that by keeping teenagers in his house, Kelly exploited their dreams. He took them away from their families, raped and beat them, and made them do horrible things.
Prosecutors claimed Kelly was a serial sexual predator who victimised young women, as well as juvenile girls and boys, for more than 20 years. The trial centred on the allegations of six persons.
Additionally, it was claimed that he and his group ran a criminal operation that transported its victims to events and concerts across the US while recruiting and grooming them for sex.
In addition, Kelly was charged with controlling his victims’ access to food and restrooms as well as forcing them to call him “Daddy” while keeping them locked up in hotel rooms or his recording studio.
What did Victim tell the court?
A victim who testified in court gave a description of how Kelly forced her to perform unnatural acts on him. When she arrived in court, she proclaimed that he is an abuser, shameless, and nasty. She shouted in a prayer for Kelly to serve the remainder of his days in jail. She said she pity him.
Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges rather than taking the witness stand to defend himself.
R Kelly requests release from prison showing concern about his health
Kelly, who was detained without bail after being charged with several sex crimes, is pleading with a federal judge to get him out of the Chicago jail.
The singer is listed among those considered high-risk by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in light of the ongoing health crisis, according to the motion of bond submitted to the court last week.
In light of the ongoing coronavirus issue, it was just last week that news broke that Bill Cosby’s attorneys were attempting to have him placed under home arrest and released from prison.
They reportedly made this decision after learning that one prison officer had tested positive for the dangerous disease. The disgraced comedian is currently serving a sentence at SCI Phoenix in Montgomery County of three to ten years.
Harvey Weinstein, on the other hand, just tested positive for the fatal disease. He is currently being held in medical isolation at the Wende Correctional Facility, a high security jail.