updated29. June 2022, 21:30
Among other things, the musician is said to have sexually exploited minors, and he was also accused of kidnapping and bribery. Kelly has been in prison since his arrest in 2019.
The hearing took place in Brooklyn, New York.
AFP
The 54-year-old singer has been accused of serious sexual abuse for years. He was also charged with crimes such as kidnapping and extortion.
AFP/ho
Former pop superstar R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in an abuse trial. Judge Ann Donnelly made the announcement at a court in New York on Wednesday. A jury found the musician guilty on all nine counts, including sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping and bribery, last year following a trial lasting several weeks. Kelly, who appeared in court with black glasses, a black corona mask and a khaki top, had always denied the allegations.
Before Judge Donnelly announced the sentence, seven of Kelly’s victims told their stories one following the other, sometimes in tears. Sometimes the women looked and spoke to him directly – but Kelly either stared straight ahead at the notes on the table in front of him or spoke quietly to his defense attorneys. The musician had a “God complex”, “manipulated millions of people” and committed “pathetic, inexplicable” acts, said a woman. “I’m not here for the money and certainly not for Hollywood,” said another. “I’m here because I seek justice.”
The women recounted the sexual, physical and mental abuse they experienced at the hands of Kelly — in part when they were minors. “Robert, you destroyed so many people,” said a woman. “You are an abuser, you are shameless, you are disgusting and you are self righteous,” another woman accused the singer. Another said she doesn’t care regarding Kelly’s remorse because she might see he wasn’t showing any. The women also reported that they had been attacked online by fans of the singer who didn’t believe them.
Prosecutors had previously asked for more than 25 years in prison and a fine of between $50,000 and $250,000 for the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer, who has been in prison since his arrest in the summer of 2019. Such a punishment is appropriate, among other things, because of the seriousness of his crimes, and Kelly is still a danger, it said.
The musician’s lawyers had demanded a significantly lower sentence. Before the sentence was announced, there were also renewed discussions in court regarding the musician’s financial situation. While prosecutors claimed that Kelly was owed millions from rights sales, the musician’s defense dismissed this, saying he was effectively bankrupt. “His music is no longer played,” said attorney Jennifer Bonjean. “We can see it in his royalties, since the process they have fallen extremely.”
The first allegations once morest the musician, born Robert Sylvester Kelly in Chicago in 1967, were made around 25 years ago. In 2008 he was tried for possession of images of serious child sexual abuse – and was acquitted. The music colossus seemed unassailable on its pop throne. With more than 50 million albums sold, several Grammys and other awards, he was one of the most successful musicians of the late 20th century.
But at the latest when the sensational documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” summarized the allegations in 2019, the singer became more and more lonely. Stars distanced themselves from him, as well as radio stations, streaming services and then his music label RCA, which belongs to Sony Music.
With the sentence announced in New York, the legal disputes for Kelly are not over: There are also charges once morest the musician in the US states of Illinois and Minnesota. A trial in Chicago is scheduled to begin in mid-August.
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(DPA/bho)