Extortion, sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping, trafficking, corruption and forced labour for more than 20 years… In June 2022, R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison. If his list of crimes already seemed dizzying, a second trial, in September 2022, came to lengthen it, then finding him guilty of production of child pornography and embezzlement of minors. In particular, during the hearings, video excerpts were broadcast in which we saw the singer committing sexual assaults on young girls, one of which was only 14 years old.
Since then, the singer has been waiting to hear his sentence. This Thursday, February 23, the federal court in Chicago ruled: Robert Sylvester Kelly is sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Non-cumulative penalties
Prosecutors had asked for a 25-year prison sentence to be served after completing his first detention. But, unlike Harvey Weinstein, whose ruling was released the same day, R. Kelly ultimately won’t add this sentence to his previous one, the judge having ordered him to serve only one more year in prison after serving the 30-year sentence. prison for which he was sentenced in New York last June.
The singer was also acquitted of obstruction of justice charges he was accused of threatening a victim not to testify in a previous child pornography trial in 2008, of which he emerged not guilty.
A whole career of impunity
Since 2008, and despite the suspicions of sexual violence against him, he has continued to lead his career with impunity, multiplying his successes and totaling over 75 million records sold. In 2019, a documentary titled Survived R. Kelly made a lot of noise. Many women have testified against the singer, especially recounting years of sexual violence that went unpunished.
His conviction in September 2021, at the end of the trial that found him guilty of piloting a system of sexual exploitation of young women for years, was welcomed as a victory ” bitter-sweet for the victims, torn between the relief of finally seeing their abuser convicted and the anger that it took so many years.
Featured Image: Youtube screenshot
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
