The Latest:
NEW YORK (AP) — R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for using his R&B superstardom to subject young fans to systematic sexual abuse.
The singer and songwriter was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking last year at a trial that gave voice to accusers who had once wondered if their stories were ignored because they were Black women.
U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly imposed the sentence at a courthouse in Brooklyn.
The sentence caps a slow-motion fall for Kelly, who is 55.
He remained adored by legions of fans even after allegations about his abuse of young girls began circulating publicly in the 1990s.
Original Story (6/29/22):
NEW YORK (AP) — R. Kelly is being sentenced in a sex trafficking case that could put him behind bars for years.
A judge is set to impose the sentence Wednesday in a federal court in New York City.
Prosecutors are seeking a minimum 25-year term.
The defense says a sentence of 10 years or less is all he deserves.
A jury found Kelly guilty last year of racketeering and other counts in a trial that was seen as a signature moment in the #MeToo movement.
Outrage over his misconduct with children and young women was fueled in part by the widely watched docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
