Because of his involvement in the sex trafficking case, R. Kelly is going to spend the next thirty years of his life in prison.
In a federal court in Brooklyn on June 29, a judge handed down the singer’s punishment. This occurred nine months after a jury found the singer guilty on all nine charges of sexual assault that were brought against him during his trial. In addition to that, he was given a fine of one hundred thousand dollars and five years of probation with supervision.
During the course of the highly publicised trial that began in federal court in Brooklyn in August of last year, prosecutors called on dozens of witnesses to testify. These witnesses included female and male accusers who claimed that they were groomed for sex and endured psychological abuse while they were underage.
According to NBC News, the accusers said that they were coerced into signing nondisclosure papers and that they were exposed to threats and penalties if they breached what one victim referred to as “Rob’s rules.” The accusers also stated that they were compelled to sign nondisclosure documents.
According to the publication, R. Kelly is accused of using his “celebrity, money, and reputation” to “prey upon minors and young women for his own sexual enjoyment” in a document that was filed in the beginning of June. In court documents that the singer’s attorneys filed, they argued that he should be given a break in his sentencing judgement because he had a “traumatic childhood” that included “severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence.” This was one of the reasons that they cited in support of their argument.
After the broadcast of the documentary series Surviving R. Kelly on Lifetime in January 2019, claims made against the singer received a fresh round of attention from the media. The six-part documentary, which contained allegations from a variety of accusers, resulted in requests from the general public for an official inquiry to be conducted.
Since his arrest in July of 2019, R. Kelly has been serving time in a prison. The artist is reportedly still being investigated in Chicago for child exploitation and obstruction of justice, as reported by NBC News. On August 15, his trial for that case is scheduled to get underway.