Rapper R Kelly has been facing several sexual abuse charges, racketeering, and trafficking for years. However, his bad deeds came into a new light when the 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly was released.
Rapper R Kelly has been sentenced after Wednesday’s hearing. He has been in jail without bail since 2019.
Why Was Rapper R Kelly Jailed? What Are The Allegations On Him?
Rapper R Kelly is accused of leading an “s*x cult” and targeting, grooming, and exploiting young men and women for his sexual enjoyment by interstate human trafficking. The rumors of him abusing young girls started in the 1990s. He also faced several lawsuits, but they were kept under the shade.
He was sued in 1997 by a woman who claimed he had sexually assaulted and harassed her when she was still a minor. He allegedly also paid off a government official to facilitate the marriage of the late R&B artist Aaliyah when she was only 15.
According to Lizzette Martinez, she was 17 years old when the alleged assault occurred. She is 45 now. Another lady, Jovante, claimed to have suffered in his hands when she was 14 years old, as per CBS news.
The 2019 airing of the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary, in which accusers spoke openly about their interactions with him, provided new leads and details into the singer’s past actions. Some claimed they were threatened with violence and forced to sign nondisclosure agreements.
Victims testified in court on Wednesday, claiming that Kelly had taken advantage of them, abused them, and misled his followers. He would have full control over their lives.
Rapper R Kelly Plans To Appeal
Rapper R Kelly plans to appeal, says his attorney Jennifer Bonjean. She added that he was devastated after hearing the sentencing, but it did not come as a big surprise either, and he was fine with the sentence.
However, his attorneys asked for ten years of sentencing while arguing that he had a horrific background involving severe, continuous childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence.
They claimed he should be given a break because his victimization continued into adulthood after he was repeatedly cheated and financially harmed, frequently by the people he paid to protect him.
Rapper R Kelly Sentenced To 30 Years
Judge Donnelly gave rapper R Kelly a 30-year prison term. He criticized Kelly, saying his conduct as having been “calculated, carefully planned, and routinely carried out for almost 25 years”, writes NBC News.
Besides the prison sentence, he was fined $100,000 and a statutory $40,000 fine for human trafficking. Attorney Jennifer Bonjean argued the assessments because Kelly had lost his job and was now poor.
In contrast, the prosecution claimed that Kelly had covertly sold the $5 million rights to his composition and lyric royalties. He has been jailed without bail since 2019 and is still facing the charges of child po**ogrpahy and obstruction of justice in Chicago, which will continue in August 2022.