R Kelly “did atrocious things to the children,” the victim says after sentencing
R&B singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a federal court conviction last year for sex trafficking and extortion.
Appearing in court on Wednesday, the dishonored singer remained silent as he heard from some of his accusers who gave impact statements to the victims recounting their experiences with the singer.
Prosecutors had demanded that R Kelly receive more than 25 years behind bars in order to “protect the public” from the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer. He was convicted on nine counts last September, which included an excuse offense and eight offenses of violating the Mann Act.
Gloria Allred, who represented the three women who testified against R Kelly, told reporters that “no one can undo the harm that has been done to these victims,” which her lawyer has denied.
Meanwhile, the Acting Associate Director of National Security Investigations (HSI), who announced Kelly’s sentencing, described the singer as a “prolific serial predator who used his wealth and fame to approach young people and vulnerable by hanging promises of fame, fortune and stardom for their own sexuality. gratification. ”
Key points
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ICYMI: Why was R Kelly convicted?
The dishonored R&B singer had faced a series of charges before being found guilty in September of nuances and sexual exploitation of a child and sex trafficking, among other charges.
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, sat motionless when he was convicted of those charges last year. He remained silent again during his sentence Wednesday.
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 9:30 p.m.
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Opinion: R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends
“Wealth, power, racism and misogyny protected the R&B star, and we are a long way from dismantling the culture that allows predators and abusers,” writes Fiona Sturges in the following opinion piece :
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 7:30 p.m.
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The judge says the “horrors” were “no price too high”
“The horrors your victims suffered,” U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly said during Wednesday’s sentencing. “No price was too high to pay for your happiness.”
According to the trial witness, R Kelly said several of his victims were minors at the time of his encounters with the singer, who denied ordering his accusers to sign non-disclosure forms (other band, known NDA).
The “boys and girls” were allegedly subjected to threats and punishments if they violated what was called “Rob’s rules,” prosecutors heard during their trail last year.
The R&B singer was also accused of recording “embarrassing videos” of his victims.
Additional report from the Associated Press
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 5:30 p.m.
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Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least deserving of men like him
“Something is very, very rotten in the cult of male celebrity,” Victoria Richards of The Independent writes in the opinion piece below.
“Because it does not end the abuse. This behavior has a domino effect that lasts for decades; not just for the victims, but for all those who see how men can go out like that for so long, and assume they can do the same. “
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 4:30 p.m.
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The sentence is a product of the MeToo movement
R Kelly’s 30-year prison sentence is another triumph for women’s rights activists and a product of the “MeToo” movement.
The allegations of sexual misconduct against R Kelly were not made public until the “MeToo” movement appeared on Twitter in 2006, when several women came out to say they had been abused by high-profile male figures.
The allegations against Kelly reached a turning point in 2019 following the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” after which he was charged by state judges with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Federal prosecutors then charged the R&B singer with sex trafficking and extortion, and his trail took place last year, where he was found guilty.
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 3:30 p.m.
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The sentence is justice for black women
R Kelly’s victims believed that originally their stories were ignored because they were black women.
Speaking in court on Wednesday where he was convicted, an unnamed survivor said: “There was not a day in my life, until this time, that I truly believed that the judicial system would come for black and brown girls. “.
Prosecutors had heard women explain in court how the R&B singer forced them into “obedience” and other “horrors.”
“I hope this sentence serves as my own testimony no matter how powerful, rich, or famous your abuser or the little one makes you feel: justice only hears the truth,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. as an Associated. The press has reported.
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 2:30 p.m.
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ICYMI: R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and extortion
R&B singer Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sex trafficking and extortion.
He was convicted in 2021.
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 1:30 p.m.
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‘R. Kelly used her fame, fortune and facilitators to take advantage of the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless, ”the lawyer says.
Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York who announced Wednesday the 30-year prison sentence for R Kelly along with Steve K. Francis, associate executive director in National Security Investigations (HSI) functions went say the singer “used his fame, fortune and facilitators to take advantage of young people.”
Read his full statement as you announce the sentence here:
“R. Kelly used her fame, fortune, and facilitators to take advantage of the young, the vulnerable, and the voiceless for her own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye.
“Through her actions, Kelly showed cruel contempt for the devastation her crimes had on her victims and has shown no remorse for her conduct. With today’s verdict, she finally and properly has been held accountable for its decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of adolescents and other vulnerable youth.We hope that today’s sentence will bring some consolation and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serve in recognition for a long time that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives are important. “
Oliver O’Connell July 1, 2022 12:30 AM
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The victim said the singer kept her as a “sex slave.”
Lizzette Martinez, who made a statement about the victim’s impact during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing in which she said she was “R Kelly’s sex slave,” said she hoped R Kelly would have a harsher sentence.
“Personally I think that’s not enough, but I’m happy with it,” he told reporters after the 55-year-old was sentenced to 30 years.
Other women who testified during the trial and sentencing hearing have not made their names public.
Gino Spocchia June 30, 2022 11:30 p.m.
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Why did R Kelly receive a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell?
Disgraced R&B singer R Kelly was sentenced on Wednesday to thirty years in prison following his conviction for sex trafficking and extortion.
In response to this news, many compared his sentence to that of Jeffrey Epstein’s partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, who received twenty years in prison for his conviction for sex trafficking.
A Twitter user wrote, “Can anyone tell me how R Kelly received a prison sentence ten years longer than Ghislaine Maxwell?”
Holly Bancroft investigates:
Oliver O’Connell30 June 2022 22:54