Disgraced After being found guilty on all nine counts in a prominent sex trafficking case, R&B artist Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in jail on Wednesday. In Brooklyn, New York, the US District Judge Ann Donnelly sentenced Kelly after hearing from several of his victims who spoke to him during the court and related their stories.
Whilee delivering the sentence,Judge Donnelly said to Kelly, “You took advantage of their hopes and dreams, holding teenagers in your house trapped. You were at the top of your organization, and you raped and beat them, separated them from their families and forced them to do unspeakable things”, via NBC News.
Prosecutors claimed Kelly was a serial sexual predator who victimized young women and juvenile girls and boys for more than 20 years. The trial centred on the allegations of six persons. Additionally, it was claimed that he and his group ran a criminal operation that transported its victims to events and concerts across the US while recruiting and grooming them for sex. In addition, Kelly was charged with controlling his victims’ access to food and restrooms and forcing them to call him “Daddy” while keeping them locked up in hotel rooms or his recording studio.
A victim who spoke in court described a situation in which she was made to have oral sex with Kelly. When she entered the courtroom, she yelled, “You are a scumbag, sleazy, and repulsive. I hope you spend the rest of your life in prison. I feel bad for you,” according to NBC News. Kelly did not take the witness stand to defend himself and entered a not guilty plea to every accusation.
