R. Kelly is sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering

After weeks of legal proceedings, R. Kelly is finally convicted.
The famous singer was sentenced to 30 years behind bars.
He was convicted of racketeering and sex trafficking.

Singer R. Kelly was sentenced in New York on Wednesday to 30 years in prison for racketeering crime, sexual abuse and sex trafficking, nine months after he was found guilty in a trial that lasted six weeks and in which dozens of people testified against him.

The R&B star of the 1990s, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, and who is now 55 years old, listened to the testimonies of seven women, many of them in tears. They testified again about the suffering and ongoing trauma of his abuse, according to EFE Agency.

R. Kelly received a long sentence

Famous in the 90s, and having collaborated with numerous artists, singer R. Kelly now faces 30 years in prison as requested by the Brooklyn Attorney General, Breon Peace. The R & B star’s case is quite complicated, hence the long sentence he received.

According to Publico, R.Kelly is accused of organized crime, as well as sex trafficking of women and girls. It has caused a stir in the music industry and he’s been blackballed due to the horrifying accusations. Even Lady Gaga had to ‘delete’ a duet she made with him.

He was defined as a ‘narcissistic’ person

Is he a predator? The Attorney General has described R.Kelly as a ‘narcissistic’ individual, that is, a person who’s only concerned about himself, with a large ego. This helped him build a successful career that served as a way to ‘get closer’ to his victims.

Are the 30 years in prison that the singer will face enough? The AG commented that this sentence would at least serve to “avoid inappropriate sentence disparities” comparing the case with other similar ones of people accused of the same crimes that R. Kelly was convicted of.

R. Kelly’s reaction upon hearing the verdict

R. Kelly showed no reaction when his sentence was handed down, according to the AP. It also included a $100,000 fine. He is expected to appeal his conviction.

“You made me do things that caused my spirit to break. I literally wanted to die because of the way you made me feel, do you remember that?” one of the victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking told R. Kelly while the singer showed no reaction to the accusations.