R&B singer R Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing women, girls and boys, almost 20 years after first facing allegations. The 55-year-old was found guilty on all nine charges he faced, and the punishment was announced by Judge Ann Donnelly in the Brooklyn federal court.
“The verdict is in: R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years,” the US attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York said in a tweet. The prosecutors asked for at least 25 years in prison for the disgraced singer as they believed that he “poses a serious danger to the public.”
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“His actions were brazen, manipulative, controlling and coercive. He has shown no remorse or respect for the law,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo according to AFP.
Kelly is also facing another trial in Chicago which will be starting from August 15. In that case, Kelly and two of his associates were accused of rigging his 2008 pornography trial and also perjury.
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During the course of the trial, a total of 45 witnesses – 11 being alleged victims of Kelly – appeared in front of the court and he was even found guilty of racketeering – the worst of the charges.
The biggest aspect of the R Kelly trial was his controversial relationship with late singer Aaliyah whom he illegally married when she was just 15 years old. AFP reported that his former manager admitted to bribing officials in order to get fake identification for Aaliyah in order to complete the marriage.
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