R. Kelly, a disgraced R&B artist, was given a 30-year prison term on Wednesday for his role in a decades-long scheme to ensnare and recruit young girls and women for sex. Nearly a year after the 55-year-old Kelly was found guilty by a New York jury, Judge Ann Donnelly imposed the sentence in federal court in Brooklyn. The Eastern District of New York’s US attorney’s office tweeted, “The verdict is in: R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years.”
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer had been requested to serve at least 25 years in prison by the prosecution, who claimed that he still “poses a major danger to the public.” The former superstar was convicted guilty of the nine charges he was up against, including the most serious one: racketeering, in September. “His behavior was blatant, deceptive, oppressive, and forceful. He has demonstrated no remorse or regard for the law, according to the prosecution’s memo on punishment.
Kelly’s attorneys requested a sentence with a maximum of around 17 years. The verdict is handed down just over a month before jury selection is scheduled to begin on August 15 in Kelly’s separate, lengthy federal trial in Chicago. According to the allegations in that case, Kelly and two of his ex-colleagues botched the singer’s 2008 pornographic trial and covered up years of sexual abuse of youngsters. The former R&B music kingpin is also under investigation in two other states.
Who is R. Kelly?
Robert Sylvester Kelly, an American singer, composer, record producer, and convicted sex offender, was born on January 8, 1967. As a recording artist, Kelly is recognized for helping to reinvent R&B and hip hop. Kelly has been dubbed “the King of R&B,” “the King of Pop-Soul,” “the Pied Piper of R&B,” and other titles. His lengthy repertoire of hits from three decades is what made him famous. The most successful male R&B performer of the 1990s and one of the best-selling musicians in the world, he has sold over 75 million records worldwide. [8] [9] Three Grammy Awards were given to him for the song “I Believe I Can Fly.”
R. Kelly’s convictions
For various artists, he has written, produced, and remixed songs, singles, and albums. For Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone,” he received a Grammy nomination. Kelly has a long history of being accused of abusing both juveniles and young people sexually.
- He was the target of numerous civil lawsuits and was charged with crimes in Chicago, New York, Illinois, and Minnesota. He vehemently refuted the allegations.
- In 1994, he wed Aaliyah in secret while she was still a minor.
- He was accused of creating child pornography on 21 counts in 2002, although he was ultimately found not guilty.
- In 2021, Kelly was found guilty on nine criminal counts, including violating the Mann Act and racketeering, by a jury. This was the first criminal conviction for a sex crime ever obtained by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
- Kelly received a sentence of 30 years in jail on June 29, 2022. Kelly keeps fighting his conviction from New York.
When was R. Kelly’s born?- R. Kelly’s Age
R. Kelly was born in 1990–1996, R. Kelly is currently aged 55. Robert Kelly, Marc McWilliams, Vincent Walker, and Shawn Brooks created MGM (Musically Gifted Men or Mentally Gifted Men) in 1989. MGM recorded and released one single in 1990, “Why You Wanna Play Me,” and the group split up soon after. Kelly attained widespread fame in 1989 when MGM took part in Natalie Cole’s talent competition show Big Break.
The group went on to win the $100,000 top prize after MGM performed “All My Love,” which would later serve as a demo for Kelly’s song “She’s Got That Vibe”.
