His defence team argued anything more than 10 years would be ‘tantamount to a death sentence’
R Kelly will probably die in prison after he was sentenced to 30 years behind bars for using his celebrity status to sexually abuse children and women.
On Wednesday, the 55-year-old faced seven of his victims in a court in New York, who detailed the abuse and suffering they experienced at the hands of the singer.
The judge said Kelly had an “indifference to human suffering.”
Prosecutors had pushed for him to be handed more than 25 years in prison in order to “protect the public,” whilst his defence had argued for a sentence of the mandatory 10 years or less.
In the end, Kelly – real name Robert Sylvester Kelly- was sentenced to 30-years behind bars.
There is therefore a likely chance that he will die in prison, as he could be 85 by the time he is released. US life expectancy is around 78.
R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison, following the R&B singer's conviction for exploiting his stardom and wealth over decades to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex https://t.co/NlwnzfHPd0 pic.twitter.com/OXISGDBWzX
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 30, 2022
Kelly’s defense team said anything more than 10 years in prison would be “tantamount to a death sentence.”
They had argued that he should be given a lighter sentence because of the fact he experienced sexual abuse and domestic violence as a child.
His team have confirmed they will be appealing the verdict.
R. Kelly's attorney says she will appeal the singer's 30-year prison sentence in last year's racketeering and sex trafficking conviction. Kelly’s lawyers had argued he should get no more than 10 years because he had a traumatic childhood. https://t.co/Ex2JGKqaMc pic.twitter.com/KntFEmghMI
— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) June 29, 2022
Kelly has been in custody since he was indicted by federal prosecutors in New York and Chicago in July 2019.
He had been found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking crimes last September.
The singer faces further legal action as well. In August, he is set to go on trial in Chicago on child porn and obstruction charges, and he is also due to face sex abuse charges in Illinois and Minnesota.
Related links:
- R. Kelly’s lawyer compares him to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr during sex abuse trial
- Prince Andrew ‘should be next target’ for prosecutors after Ghislaine Maxwell jailed, lawyers say
- Dakota Johnson speaks out after being dragged into Johnny Depp case after video goes viral
