He is guilty of all charges: R. The abuse trial against Kelly was decided by an arbitral tribunal at the end of September. It is now clear that the former pop superstar faces up to 30 years in prison. The sentence was announced by a New York court Wednesday.
The musician was convicted last year on nine charges, including sexual abuse of children, abduction and bribery. Kelly has always denied the allegations. He did not testify himself, but continued the trial in the courtroom.
The sentence was much higher than the 25-year-old lawyers’ sentence for the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer. Kelly has been in jail since his arrest in the summer of 2019. His lawyers had demanded a significantly lower sentence and had previously announced that they would appeal against the verdict.
It only took the judges nine hours to deliver their verdict
Judge Ann Donnelly’s sentence was repeatedly adjourned due to various court procedures. For about six weeks last year, they presented the abuse charges against Kelly in detail for decades, dividing them and presenting their arguments. Dozens of witnesses spoke and hundreds of witnesses were seen. It only took the jury nine hours to deliver its verdict at the end of September.
The first charges against the Chicago-born musician Robert Sylvester Kelly were made about 25 years ago. In 2008, he was prosecuted for possessing images of serious child sexual abuse – and he was released. With over 50 million albums sold and numerous Grammy Awards and other awards, the music giant seemed unshakable on his pop throne, making him one of the most successful musicians of the late 20th century.
But recently, when the sensational documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” summed up the allegations in 2019, the singer became more and more lonely. Other celebrities left him, as well as his music label RCA, which is owned by radio stations, streaming services and Sony Music. After his sentence in New York, Kelly faces further legal consequences: there are also charges against the musician in the US states of Illinois and Minnesota. A trial in Chicago is scheduled to begin in mid-August.
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