Kelly’s crimes were “calculated, carefully planned and executed regularly over a period of nearly 25 years,” said Judge Ann Donnelly. She also imposed a $100,000 fine. Kelly himself did not comment on Wednesday — according to his defense attorney due to other pending lawsuits. The 55-year-old man took the sentence immobile with his head down. “He’s not sitting here without regrets,” said defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean.
With the sentence, Judge Donnelly followed the prosecution, who had asked for more than 25 years in prison for the singer, who has been in prison since his summer 2019 arrest. crimes, and Kelly is still a danger, the prosecutor vindicated his claim — and Donnelly concurred.
AP/Elizabeth Williams According to the indictment, Kelly created a network to satisfy her sexual desires.
Defender: “Product of your childhood”
The musician’s defense demanded a significantly shorter sentence and emphasized this again in court. Kelly was the “product of her childhood” – an extremely difficult childhood marked by sexual abuse, poverty and violence, said defense attorney Bonjean.
Furthermore, Kelly is a “music genius” and has been giving a lot to society as a result and also because of her willingness to give. His crimes were serious, but they did not justify a punishment of this magnitude. The defense had previously announced that it would appeal and has now emphasized this again.
Serious allegations of decades
Kelly was found guilty by a jury last September. He himself has always denied the allegations, but the witness statements were overwhelming. Prosecutors charged the former star with sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping, forced labor, bribery and sex trafficking between 1994 and 2018. So Kelly built a whole network of helpers to recruit girls and women.
Career
Kelly has been one of the pop superstars of the US music scene since the 1990s. He has written, composed and also worked as a producer. His biggest hit “I Believe I Can Fly” won him several awards, including three Grammys. His last album was released in 2016.
During the trial, several of her abuse victims testified to how Kelly required her victims to follow strict rules. For example, they would need your permission to eat or go to the bathroom. In court, jurors also saw home videos of Kelly engaging in sexual activity that prosecutors said was not consensual. A witness who had hoped to interview him for a radio station said at the trial that he locked her up without food or water for at least two days before assaulting her.
For about six weeks, the prosecution and defense presented the allegations against Kelly spanning several decades in detail and presented their arguments. Kelly was convicted, among other things, under a law against criminal organizations such as the Mafia. Kelly did not testify at the trial, but followed the proceedings in court.
Documentary got things rolling
The first accusations against the musician, born in Chicago in 1967, were made about 25 years ago. In 2008, he was tried for possession of footage of serious child sexual abuse – and was acquitted. Finally, in 2019, the sensational documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” was released, which summarized the allegations and gave victims a chance to speak out. As a result, mates, radio stations, streaming services and his record label RCA distanced themselves from him. In 2019, Kelly was also arrested.
The legal investigation did not end with the lawsuit in New York. There are also charges against the musician in the US states of Illinois and Minnesota. A trial in Chicago is scheduled to begin in mid-August. Kelly himself has always rejected the allegations. In court, his lawyer portrayed him as a “sex symbol” who simply led a “playboy life”.