R Kelly sentencing - live: R&B singer on suicide watch after getting 30 years in prison for sex trafficking

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R&B Singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a conviction in federal court last year on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

Appearing in court on Wednesday, the disgraced singer remained silent as he heard from some of his accusers who gave victim impact statements recounting their experiences with the singer.

Prosecutors had called for R Kelly to receive more than 25 years behind bars in order to “protect the public” from the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer. He was convicted on nine counts last September, which included one racketeering and eight counts of Mann Act violations.

Gloria Allred, who represented the three women who testified against R Kelly, told reporters that “no one can undo the harm that has been done to these victims,” which his lawyer’s denied.

The acting associate director off Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) who announced Kelly’s sentencing meanwhile called the singer a “prolific serial predator who utilised his wealth and fame to prey on the young and vulnerable by dangling promises of fame, fortune and stardom for his own sexual gratification.”

Key points

  • R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison

  • Victim says he used fame and influence to ‘groom’ victims

  • ‘I hope you go to jail for the rest of your life’: Fourth victim speaks out

  • Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell?

  • R Kelly placed on suicide watch after being sentenced for sex trafficking, lawyer says

R Kelly victim says 30-year-prison term is 'spot on'

Thursday 30 June 2022 06:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Sonja, a victim of R Kelly’s abuse who testified in court, has hailed the singer’s prison term.

In an interview with Los Angeles Times after the sentencing, Sonja, whose last name is not being revealed to protect her identity, said that she was intimidated by people in the singer’s circle for years.

“I’ve been followed, I’ve been approached at networking events,” she said.“It happened a few different times.”

On each occasion she says she immediately got away from the person who was chatting with her and went “off the grid for a few days.”

“Thirty years is spot on for me,” she said.

“I have been enduring this for almost two decades. I am very happy with the sentence. Very happy.”

R&B singer R. Kelly's supporter reacts following the sentencing hearing at Brooklyn Federal Court in New York, on June 29, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)
R&B singer R. Kelly's supporter reacts following the sentencing hearing at Brooklyn Federal Court in New York, on June 29, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)

R Kelly's lawyer says victims 'preyed on him'

Thursday 30 June 2022 07:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Attorney Steve Greenberg who represented singer R Kelly has accused the victims of ‘preying’ on the singer.

In an interview with Law & Crime Mr Greenberg said: “They preyed on him. And for them to now come to court and say they are victims is just being intellectually dishonest.”

Watch:

R Kelly's lawyer says singer wanted to speak at his sentencing

Thursday 30 June 2022 07:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Jennifer Bonjean, lawyer for R Kelly, said that the singer wanted to speak in court at his sentencing but she advised him against it.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Ms Bonjean said that she didn’t want him to speak while he has open cases in Chicago and Minnesota.

Another case, involving child pornography and similar allegations, is scheduled to go to trial in Chicago federal court in August, reported Business Insider.

“I promise you, he does wanna make a statement,” Ms Bonjean said.

“He will make statements, but on the advice of counsel, he remained silent.”

Attorney Jennifer Bonjean leaves the courtroom following the sentencing of singer R. Kelly for federal sex trafficking (REUTERS)
Attorney Jennifer Bonjean leaves the courtroom following the sentencing of singer R. Kelly for federal sex trafficking (REUTERS)

Kelly's sisters say singer treated 'unfairly'

Thursday 30 June 2022 08:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

R Kelly’s two sisters from his father’s side have said that they believe that the singer has been treated unfairly.

Lisa and Cassandra Kelly, live in North Carolina and Atlanta attended the sentencing on Wednesday.

“He’s been strong. He’s gonna continue to be strong. We’re his sisters, we’re gonna continue to stand behind him,” Lisa Kelly told Insider.

“And that’s just the way it is. We don’t believe any of that.”

In this courtroom sketch, R Kelly and his attorney Jennifer Bonjean, left, appear during his sentencing hearing (Elizabeth Williams/PA) (AP)
In this courtroom sketch, R Kelly and his attorney Jennifer Bonjean, left, appear during his sentencing hearing (Elizabeth Williams/PA) (AP)

Kelly conviction would be unlikely 'if he still had the money and fame,' journalist says

Thursday 30 June 2022 08:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Jim DeRogatis, the first journalist who covered R Kelly’s alleged crimes in 2000 said to ABC’s RN Breakfast that the singer would probably not be convicted and sentenced if he still had money and fame.

“I’m not so sure we would have seen the conviction or the sentencing today if he still had the money and fame that he had at the height of his powers through the 90s, through the 2000s,” he said on RN Breakfast following the sentencing.

“He’s broke. As he sang in the last song he released to the world: I am a broke ass legend.

“Justice is bought in America too frequently by money and fame and that’s what happened when he was first tried for making child pornography in 2008.”

Mr DeRogatis broke the story about the infamous video tape, which showed the singer allegedly abusing and urinating on a 14-year-old girl.

 (Getty Images for BET)
(Getty Images for BET)

Thursday 30 June 2022 09:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

‘Thirty years that he did this and 30 years is what he got,’ victim saysR Kelly was branded “the pied piper of R&B” by a victim using the pseudonym “Angela” who went on to detail his “deplorable and inexplicable” abuse during her statement.

“I stand here very proud of my judicial system, very proud of my fellow survivors and very pleased with the outcome.

“Thirty years (is how long) that he did this and 30 years is what he got,” she later said outside court.

Victims have mixed feelings about 30-year sentence for R Kelly

R Kelly conviction: All you need to know

Thursday 30 June 2022 10:00 , Sravasti Dasgupta

R&B singer R Kelly, 55, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday, 29 June, in Brooklyn federal court.

US District Judge Ann Donnelly also slapped Kelly with a $100,000 fine, after prosecutors asked for $50,000 to $250,000.

The Independent’s Graeme Massie explains what the singer was convicted of and how much jail time did he faces:

What was R Kelly accused of and how much jail time did he get?

'R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless,' lawyer says

Thursday 30 June 2022 10:30 , Sravasti Dasgupta

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York who announced R Kelly’s 30-year-prison term on Wednesday along with Steve K. Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said that the singer “used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young.”

Read his full statement while announcing the sentence here:

“R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye.

“Through his actions, Kelly exhibited a callous disregard for the devastation his crimes had on his victims and has shown no remorse for his conduct. With today’s sentence he has finally and appropriately been held accountable for his decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of teenagers and other vulnerable young people. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serves as long-overdue recognition that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives matter.”

Breon Peace (C), the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, walks to a press conference outside of the United States Courthouse after former R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison after his conviction last year on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges in the Brooklyn borough of New York, New York, USA, 29 June 2022. (EPA)

ICYMI: R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketeering conviction

Thursday 30 June 2022 11:30 , Gino Spocchia

R&B singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketteering convictions.

He was convicted in 2021.

Graig Graziosi reports:

R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking, racketeering conviction

Sentence is justice for Black women

Thursday 30 June 2022 12:30 , Gino Spocchia

R Kelly’s victims believed their stories were orginally being ignored because they were Black women.

Speaking outside the court on Wednesday where he was sentenced, one unnamed survivor said: “There wasn’t a day in my life, up until this moment, that I actually believed that the judicial system would come through for Black and brown girls”.

Prosecutors had heard from women who told the court how the R & B singer forced them into “obedience” and other “horrors”.

“I hope this sentencing serves as its own testimony that it doesn’t matter how powerful, rich or famous your abuser may be or how small they make you feel — justice only hears the truth,” said US Attorney Breon Peace, as the Associated Press reported.

Sentencing is product of MeToo movement

Thursday 30 June 2022 13:30 , Gino Spocchia

The sentencing of R Kelly to 30 years in prison is yet another triumph for women’s rights activists, and a product of the “MeToo” movement.

Sexual misconduct allegations against R Kelly were not made public until the emergence ofthe “MeToo” movement on Twitter in 2006, when several women came out to say they had been abused by high profile male figures.

The allegations against Kelly reached a tipping point in 2019 after the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly”, after which he was charged by state judges for aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Federal prosecutors then charged the R & B singer with sex trafficking and racketeering, and his trail took place last year, where he was found guilty.

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Thursday 30 June 2022 14:30 , Gino Spocchia

“Something is very, very rotten in the cult of male celebrity”, writes The Independent’s Victoria Richards in the opinion piece below.

“Because it doesn’t end with the abuse. This behaviour has a ripple effect that lasts decades; not just for the victims themselves, but all those who see what men like this can get away with for so long – and assume they can do the same.”

Continue reading here...

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Judge says ‘horrors’ were ‘no price too high’

Thursday 30 June 2022 15:30 , Gino Spocchia

“The horrors your victims endured,” said US District Judge Ann Donnelly during Wednesday’s sentencing. “No price was too high to pay for your happiness.”

According to trial testimony, R Kelly gave several of his victims were underage at the time of their encounters with the singer, who denied ordering his accusers to sign nondisclosure forms (otherwise known NDAs).

“Boys and girls” were allegedly subjected to threats and punishments if they broke what one referred to as “Rob’s rules”, prosecutors heard during his trail last year.

The R & B singer was also accused of shooting “shaming videos” of his victims.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Opinion: R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

Thursday 30 June 2022 16:30 , Gino Spocchia

“Wealth, power, racism and misogyny protected the R & B star, and we are a long way from dismantling the culture that enables predators and abusers”, writes Fiona Sturges in the opinion piece below:

R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

ICYMI: What was R Kelly sentenced for?

Thursday 30 June 2022 17:30 , Gino Spocchia

The disgraced R&B singer had faced a string of allegations before being found guilty in September of racketeering and the sexual exploitation of a child and sex trafficking – among other charges.

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, sat motionless as he was convicted of those charges last year. He again remained silent during his sentencing on Wednesday.

Graeme Massie has more:

What was R Kelly accused of and how much jail time did he get?

What do R Kelly’s lawyers say?

Thursday 30 June 2022 18:30 , Gino Spocchia

R Kelly didn’t testify at his trial in September, but lawyers representing the disgraced R&B singer portrayed his accusers as “girlfriends” and “groupies” who went along with his sexual acts.

Those claims were dismissed by the court, which found the disgraced music artist guilty on multiple counts. A different team of lawyers representing Kelly had recently argued he should get no more than 10 years in prison. He was instead sentenced to 30 years on Wednesday.

His lawyers had blamed a traumatic childhood “involving severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence” on the 55-year-old’s behaviour more than two decades ago, when his crimes were said to have been committed.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Opinion: For Black women like me, there is no justice and no peace

Thursday 30 June 2022 19:30 , Gino Spocchia

Following the conviction of R Kelly in September, Nylah Burton wrote that the 55-year-old being found guilty was a long wait for Black women like herself.

“The majority of people Kelly abused were Black women and girls, some as young as 12 years old. Because of that they were seen by many as disposable and not worthy of protection.”

“Knowing that it has taken 25 years — nearly my entire life — for Kelly to face any semblance of accountability is so deeply depressing.”

Continue reading here:

R Kelly has been found guilty — but for Black women like me, there is no justice

Kelly to go on trial in Chicago

Thursday 30 June 2022 20:30 , Gino Spocchia

The disgraced singer will again face a trial which could extend his time in prison further in Chicago, where he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008. by a jury.

Kelly will again faces charges of child pornography, of luring children into sex acts, and of trying to influence the outcome of his earlier case when his trial begins on 15 August.

The Illinois city is his hometown.

Victims ‘grateful’ for 30 year sentence

Thursday 30 June 2022 21:30 , Gino Spocchia

R Kelly’s victims were divided in their opinion of his sentence of 30 years, but said they were “grateful” that the disgraced R&B singer was “away and will stay away”.

Speaking outside court following the verdict two women, who remained anonymous while reading their victim impact statements to the court, said they were “proud” of one another.

Kelly was handed the sentence after being convicted on charges of racketeering and sex-trafficking in September last year, Mike Bedigan reports:

Victims have mixed feelings about 30-year sentence for R Kelly

Journalist who covered early allegations reacts to sentence

Thursday 30 June 2022 22:30 , Gino Spocchia

Jim DeRogatis, the first journalist who covered R Kelly’s alleged crimes in 2000, was among those who reacted on Wednesday to his sentencing.

He told ABC’s RN Breakfast programme that the R&B singer would probably not have been convicted and sentenced if he still had money and fame and was at the height of his career.

“I’m not so sure we would have seen the conviction or the sentencing today if he still had the money and fame that he had at the height of his powers through the 90s, through the 2000s,” DeRogatis said.

“He’s broke. As he sang in the last song he released to the world: I am a broke ass legend.”

The journalist added: “Justice is bought in America too frequently by money and fame and that’s what happened when he was first tried for making child pornography in 2008.”

Mr DeRogatis broke the story about the infamous video tape, which showed the singer allegedly abusing and urinating on a 14-year-old girl.

Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell?

Thursday 30 June 2022 22:54 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced R&B singer R Kelly was sentenced to thirty years in prison on Wednesday following his conviction for sex trafficking and racketeering.

In response to this news, many compared his sentencing to that of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who received twenty years in jail for her sex trafficking conviction.

One Twitter user wrote: “Can someone please explain to me how R Kelly received a prison sentence 10 years longer than Ghislaine Maxwell?”

Holly Bancroft investigates:

Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell? A legal expert explains

Victim said singer kept her as ‘sex slave’

Thursday 30 June 2022 23:30 , Gino Spocchia

Lizzette Martinez, who gave a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing on Wednesday in which she said she was R Kelly’s “sex slave”, said she hoped R Kelly would get a harsher sentence.

“I personally don’t think it’s enough but I’m pleased with it,” she told reporters after the 55-year-old whose sentenced to 30 years.

Other women who testified during the trial and sentencing hearing have not made their names public.

‘R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless,’ lawyer says

Friday 1 July 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York who announced R Kelly’s 30-year-prison term on Wednesday along with Steve K. Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said that the singer “used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young.”

Read his full statement while announcing the sentence here:

“R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye.

“Through his actions, Kelly exhibited a callous disregard for the devastation his crimes had on his victims and has shown no remorse for his conduct. With today’s sentence he has finally and appropriately been held accountable for his decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of teenagers and other vulnerable young people. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serves as long-overdue recognition that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives matter.”

ICYMI: R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketeering conviction

Friday 1 July 2022 01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

R&B singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketteering convictions.

He was convicted in 2021.

Graig Graziosi reports:

R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking, racketeering conviction

Sentence is justice for Black women

Friday 1 July 2022 02:30 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly’s victims believed their stories were orginally being ignored because they were Black women.

Speaking outside the court on Wednesday where he was sentenced, one unnamed survivor said: “There wasn’t a day in my life, up until this moment, that I actually believed that the judicial system would come through for Black and brown girls”.

Prosecutors had heard from women who told the court how the R & B singer forced them into “obedience” and other “horrors”.

“I hope this sentencing serves as its own testimony that it doesn’t matter how powerful, rich or famous your abuser may be or how small they make you feel — justice only hears the truth,” said US Attorney Breon Peace, as the Associated Press reported.

Sentencing is product of MeToo movement

Friday 1 July 2022 03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The sentencing of R Kelly to 30 years in prison is yet another triumph for women’s rights activists, and a product of the “MeToo” movement.

Sexual misconduct allegations against R Kelly were not made public until the emergence ofthe “MeToo” movement on Twitter in 2006, when several women came out to say they had been abused by high profile male figures.

The allegations against Kelly reached a tipping point in 2019 after the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly”, after which he was charged by state judges for aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Federal prosecutors then charged the R & B singer with sex trafficking and racketeering, and his trail took place last year, where he was found guilty.

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Friday 1 July 2022 04:30 , Oliver O'Connell

“Something is very, very rotten in the cult of male celebrity”, writes The Independent’s Victoria Richards in the opinion piece below.

“Because it doesn’t end with the abuse. This behaviour has a ripple effect that lasts decades; not just for the victims themselves, but all those who see what men like this can get away with for so long – and assume they can do the same.”

Continue reading here...

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Judge says ‘horrors’ were ‘no price too high’

Friday 1 July 2022 05:30 , Oliver O'Connell

“The horrors your victims endured,” said US District Judge Ann Donnelly during Wednesday’s sentencing. “No price was too high to pay for your happiness.”

According to trial testimony, R Kelly gave several of his victims were underage at the time of their encounters with the singer, who denied ordering his accusers to sign nondisclosure forms (otherwise known NDAs).

“Boys and girls” were allegedly subjected to threats and punishments if they broke what one referred to as “Rob’s rules”, prosecutors heard during his trail last year.

The R & B singer was also accused of shooting “shaming videos” of his victims.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Opinion: R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

Friday 1 July 2022 07:30 , Oliver O'Connell

“Wealth, power, racism and misogyny protected the R & B star, and we are a long way from dismantling the culture that enables predators and abusers”, writes Fiona Sturges in the opinion piece below:

R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

ICYMI: What was R Kelly sentenced for?

Friday 1 July 2022 09:30 , Oliver O'Connell

The disgraced R&B singer had faced a string of allegations before being found guilty in September of racketeering and the sexual exploitation of a child and sex trafficking – among other charges.

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, sat motionless as he was convicted of those charges last year. He again remained silent during his sentencing on Wednesday.

Graeme Massie has more:

What was R Kelly accused of and how much jail time did he get?

What do R Kelly’s lawyers say?

Friday 1 July 2022 11:00 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly didn’t testify at his trial in September, but lawyers representing the disgraced R&B singer portrayed his accusers as “girlfriends” and “groupies” who went along with his sexual acts.

Those claims were dismissed by the court, which found the disgraced music artist guilty on multiple counts. A different team of lawyers representing Kelly had recently argued he should get no more than 10 years in prison. He was instead sentenced to 30 years on Wednesday.

His lawyers had blamed a traumatic childhood “involving severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence” on the 55-year-old’s behaviour more than two decades ago, when his crimes were said to have been committed.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Opinion: For Black women like me, there is no justice and no peace

Friday 1 July 2022 12:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Following the conviction of R Kelly in September, Nylah Burton wrote that the 55-year-old being found guilty was a long wait for Black women like herself.

“The majority of people Kelly abused were Black women and girls, some as young as 12 years old. Because of that they were seen by many as disposable and not worthy of protection.”

“Knowing that it has taken 25 years — nearly my entire life — for Kelly to face any semblance of accountability is so deeply depressing.”

Continue reading here:

R Kelly has been found guilty — but for Black women like me, there is no justice

Kelly to go on trial in Chicago

Friday 1 July 2022 13:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The disgraced singer will again face a trial which could extend his time in prison further in Chicago, where he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008. by a jury.

Kelly will again faces charges of child pornography, of luring children into sex acts, and of trying to influence the outcome of his earlier case when his trial begins on 15 August.

The Illinois city is his hometown.

Victims ‘grateful’ for 30 year sentence

Friday 1 July 2022 13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly’s victims were divided in their opinion of his sentence of 30 years, but said they were “grateful” that the disgraced R&B singer was “away and will stay away”.

Speaking outside court following the verdict two women, who remained anonymous while reading their victim impact statements to the court, said they were “proud” of one another.

Kelly was handed the sentence after being convicted on charges of racketeering and sex-trafficking in September last year, Mike Bedigan reports:

Victims have mixed feelings about 30-year sentence for R Kelly

What was R Kelly sentenced for?

Friday 1 July 2022 14:23 , Oliver O'Connell

The disgraced R&B singer had faced a string of allegations before being found guilty in September of racketeering and the sexual exploitation of a child and sex trafficking – among other charges.

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, sat motionless as he was convicted of those charges last year. He again remained silent during his sentencing on Wednesday.

Graeme Massie has more:

What was R Kelly accused of and how much jail time did he get?

What do R Kelly’s lawyers say?

Friday 1 July 2022 15:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly didn’t testify at his trial in September, but lawyers representing the disgraced R&B singer portrayed his accusers as “girlfriends” and “groupies” who went along with his sexual acts.

Those claims were dismissed by the court, which found the disgraced music artist guilty on multiple counts. A different team of lawyers representing Kelly had recently argued he should get no more than 10 years in prison. He was instead sentenced to 30 years on Wednesday.

His lawyers had blamed a traumatic childhood “involving severe, prolonged childhood sexual abuse, poverty, and violence” on the 55-year-old’s behaviour more than two decades ago, when his crimes were said to have been committed.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Friday 1 July 2022 15:50 , Oliver O'Connell

“Something is very, very rotten in the cult of male celebrity”, writes The Independent’s Victoria Richards in the opinion piece below.

“Because it doesn’t end with the abuse. This behaviour has a ripple effect that lasts decades; not just for the victims themselves, but all those who see what men like this can get away with for so long – and assume they can do the same.”

Continue reading here...

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Opinion: For Black women like me, there is no justice and no peace

Friday 1 July 2022 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Following the conviction of R Kelly in September, Nylah Burton wrote that the 55-year-old being found guilty was a long wait for Black women like herself.

“The majority of people Kelly abused were Black women and girls, some as young as 12 years old. Because of that they were seen by many as disposable and not worthy of protection.”

“Knowing that it has taken 25 years — nearly my entire life — for Kelly to face any semblance of accountability is so deeply depressing.”

Continue reading here:

R Kelly has been found guilty — but for Black women like me, there is no justice

Opinion: R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

Friday 1 July 2022 16:50 , Oliver O'Connell

“Wealth, power, racism and misogyny protected the R & B star, and we are a long way from dismantling the culture that enables predators and abusers”, writes Fiona Sturges in the opinion piece below:

R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

Victims ‘grateful’ for 30 year sentence

Friday 1 July 2022 17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly’s victims were divided in their opinion of his sentence of 30 years, but said they were “grateful” that the disgraced R&B singer was “away and will stay away”.

Speaking outside court following the verdict two women, who remained anonymous while reading their victim impact statements to the court, said they were “proud” of one another.

Kelly was handed the sentence after being convicted on charges of racketeering and sex-trafficking in September last year, Mike Bedigan reports:

Victims have mixed feelings about 30-year sentence for R Kelly

Journalist who covered early allegations reacts to sentence

Friday 1 July 2022 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Jim DeRogatis, the first journalist who covered R Kelly’s alleged crimes in 2000, was among those who reacted on Wednesday to his sentencing.

He told ABC’s RN Breakfast programme that the R&B singer would probably not have been convicted and sentenced if he still had money and fame and was at the height of his career.

“I’m not so sure we would have seen the conviction or the sentencing today if he still had the money and fame that he had at the height of his powers through the 90s, through the 2000s,” DeRogatis said.

“He’s broke. As he sang in the last song he released to the world: I am a broke ass legend.”

The journalist added: “Justice is bought in America too frequently by money and fame and that’s what happened when he was first tried for making child pornography in 2008.”

Mr DeRogatis broke the story about the infamous video tape, which showed the singer allegedly abusing and urinating on a 14-year-old girl.

Kelly to go on trial in Chicago

Friday 1 July 2022 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

The disgraced singer will again face a trial which could extend his time in prison further in Chicago, where he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008. by a jury.

Kelly will again faces charges of child pornography, of luring children into sex acts, and of trying to influence the outcome of his earlier case when his trial begins on 15 August.

The Illinois city is his hometown.

Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell?

Friday 1 July 2022 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced R&B singer R Kelly was sentenced to thirty years in prison on Wednesday following his conviction for sex trafficking and racketeering.

In response to this news, many compared his sentencing to that of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who received twenty years in jail for her sex trafficking conviction.

One Twitter user wrote: “Can someone please explain to me how R Kelly received a prison sentence 10 years longer than Ghislaine Maxwell?”

Holly Bancroft investigates:

Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell? A legal expert explains

Lawyer: R Kelly placed on suicide watch after being sentenced for sex trafficking

Friday 1 July 2022 21:02 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly has been placed on suicide watch at the federal detention facility in Brookly where he is being held following his sentencing to 30 years in prison on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

However, his attorney believes the disgraced R&B singer is not suicidal and was fearful of being put on suicide watch.

Read more:

R Kelly placed on suicide watch after sex traffick sentencing, lawyer says

Victim said singer kept her as ‘sex slave’

Friday 1 July 2022 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Lizzette Martinez, who gave a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing on Wednesday in which she said she was R Kelly’s “sex slave”, said she hoped R Kelly would get a harsher sentence.

“I personally don’t think it’s enough but I’m pleased with it,” she told reporters after the 55-year-old whose sentenced to 30 years.

Other women who testified during the trial and sentencing hearing have not made their names public.

‘R Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young’, lawyer says

Friday 1 July 2022 22:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York who announced R Kelly’s 30-year-prison term on Wednesday along with Steve K. Francis, Acting Executive Associate Director, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said that the singer “used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young.”

Read his full statement while announcing the sentence here:

“R. Kelly used his fame, fortune and enablers to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification, while many turned a blind eye.

“Through his actions, Kelly exhibited a callous disregard for the devastation his crimes had on his victims and has shown no remorse for his conduct. With today’s sentence he has finally and appropriately been held accountable for his decades of abuse, exploitation and degradation of teenagers and other vulnerable young people. We hope that today’s sentence brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims, including those who bravely testified at trial, and serves as long-overdue recognition that their voices deserve to be heard and their lives matter.”

ICYMI: R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketeering conviction

Friday 1 July 2022 23:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R&B singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketteering convictions.

He was convicted in 2021.

Graig Graziosi reports:

R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking, racketeering conviction

Sentence is justice for Black women

01:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly’s victims believed their stories were orginally being ignored because they were Black women.

Speaking outside the court on Wednesday where he was sentenced, one unnamed survivor said: “There wasn’t a day in my life, up until this moment, that I actually believed that the judicial system would come through for Black and brown girls”.

Prosecutors had heard from women who told the court how the R & B singer forced them into “obedience” and other “horrors”.

“I hope this sentencing serves as its own testimony that it doesn’t matter how powerful, rich or famous your abuser may be or how small they make you feel — justice only hears the truth,” said US Attorney Breon Peace, as the Associated Press reported.

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

02:20 , Oliver O'Connell

“Something is very, very rotten in the cult of male celebrity”, writes The Independent’s Victoria Richards in the opinion piece below.

“Because it doesn’t end with the abuse. This behaviour has a ripple effect that lasts decades; not just for the victims themselves, but all those who see what men like this can get away with for so long – and assume they can do the same.”

Continue reading here...

Opinion: R Kelly’s prison sentence is the least men like him deserve

Judge says ‘horrors’ were ‘no price too high’

03:20 , Oliver O'Connell

“The horrors your victims endured,” said US District Judge Ann Donnelly during Wednesday’s sentencing. “No price was too high to pay for your happiness.”

According to trial testimony, R Kelly gave several of his victims were underage at the time of their encounters with the singer, who denied ordering his accusers to sign nondisclosure forms (otherwise known NDAs).

“Boys and girls” were allegedly subjected to threats and punishments if they broke what one referred to as “Rob’s rules”, prosecutors heard during his trail last year.

The R & B singer was also accused of shooting “shaming videos” of his victims.

AP

Opinion: R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

04:20 , Oliver O'Connell

“Wealth, power, racism and misogyny protected the R & B star, and we are a long way from dismantling the culture that enables predators and abusers”, writes Fiona Sturges in the opinion piece below:

R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

Recap - R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketeering conviction

06:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R&B singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking and racketteering convictions.

He was convicted in 2021.

Graig Graziosi reports:

R Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison on sex trafficking, racketeering conviction

Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell?

08:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Disgraced R&B singer R Kelly was sentenced to thirty years in prison on Wednesday following his conviction for sex trafficking and racketeering.

In response to this news, many compared his sentencing to that of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who received twenty years in jail for her sex trafficking conviction.

One Twitter user wrote: “Can someone please explain to me how R Kelly received a prison sentence 10 years longer than Ghislaine Maxwell?”

Holly Bancroft investigates:

Why did R Kelly get a longer sentence than Ghislaine Maxwell? A legal expert explains

Victims have mixed feelings about R Kelly’s sentence

10:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly’s abuse victims were divided in their opinion of his sentence of 30 years, but said they were “grateful” that the R&B singer was “away and will stay away”.

Speaking outside court following the verdict two women, who remained anonymous while reading their victim impact statements to the court, said they were “proud” of one another.

Kelly was handed the sentence after being convicted on charges of racketeering and sex-trafficking in September last year.

Victims have mixed feelings about 30-year sentence for R Kelly

Opinion: R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

12:20 , Oliver O'Connell

“Wealth, power, racism and misogyny protected the R & B star, and we are a long way from dismantling the culture that enables predators and abusers”, writes Fiona Sturges in the opinion piece below:

R Kelly’s decades of abuse tell a story that never ends

Opinion: For Black women like me, there is no justice and no peace

13:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Following the conviction of R Kelly in September, Nylah Burton wrote that the 55-year-old being found guilty was a long wait for Black women like herself.

“The majority of people Kelly abused were Black women and girls, some as young as 12 years old. Because of that they were seen by many as disposable and not worthy of protection.”

“Knowing that it has taken 25 years — nearly my entire life — for Kelly to face any semblance of accountability is so deeply depressing.”

Continue reading here:

R Kelly has been found guilty — but for Black women like me, there is no justice

Lawyer: R Kelly placed on suicide watch after being sentenced for sex trafficking

14:20 , Oliver O'Connell

R Kelly has been placed on suicide watch at the federal detention facility in Brookly where he is being held following his sentencing to 30 years in prison on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

However, his attorney believes the disgraced R&B singer is not suicidal and was fearful of being put on suicide watch.

Read more:

R Kelly placed on suicide watch after sex traffick sentencing, lawyer says