Rapper R Kelly has long been accused of sexual assault, racketeering, and human trafficking. However, after the 2019 release of the documentary Surviving R. Kelly, his horrible activities were revealed in a fresh light.
After the hearing on Wednesday, rapper R Kelly received his punishment. Since 2019, he has been detained without a bond.
What Led to R Kelly Arrest? What Charges Are Leveled Against Him?
Rapper R Kelly is charged with creating a “s*x cult” and using interstate human trafficking to recruit, groom, and exploit young men and women for his sex pleasure. In the 1990s, allegations of him molesting underage girls first surfaced. Additionally, he was the target of other lawsuits, but they were suppressed.
In 1997, a lady who had accused him of sexually harassing and assaulting her while she was still a minor filed a lawsuit against him. He is also accused of buying off a government official to help the late R&B singer Aaliyah get married when she was only 15 years old.
Lizzette Martinez claims that she was 17 years old at the time of the alleged assault. She is now 45. According to CBS news, another woman, Jovante, said that she was 14 when she was injured by his hands.
The “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary’s 2019 airing, in which accusers candidly discussed their experiences with him, produced new leads and information concerning the singer’s earlier deeds. Some allegedly received violent threats and were coerced into signing nondisclosure agreements.
On Wednesday, victims testified in court, stating that Kelly had used them, mistreated them, and mislead his supporters. Their lives would be entirely in his hands.
R Kelly a rapper wants to appeal
Rapper R Kelly intends to appeal, according to Jennifer Bonjean, his lawyer. She continued, saying that although he was saddened at learning of the punishment, it did not come as a huge surprise and he was content with it.
He had a horrendous past involving severe, ongoing child sexual abuse, poverty, and violence, according to his counsel, who requested a ten-year sentence.
They argued that he should be given a break because he was repeatedly defrauded and financially hurt as an adult, frequently by the individuals he paid to protect him.
Rapper R Kelly Receives A 30 Year Sentence
Rapper R Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in jail by Judge Donnelly. According to NBC News, he blasted Kelly, claiming that his actions had been “calculated, well planned, and frequently carried out for almost 25 years.”
In addition to his prison term, he was also hit with a $100,000 fine and a mandatory $40,000 fine for human trafficking. Attorney Jennifer Bonjean contested the assessments on the grounds that Kelly was now indigent after losing his job.
The prosecution, on the other hand, asserted that Kelly had secretly sold the $5 million rights to his composition and lyric royalties. He has been incarcerated without bond since 2019, and in August 2022, he will continue to stand trial in Chicago on charges of child sexual abuse and obstructing the administration of justice.