He federal appeals court of the United States has recently confirmed the sentence of 20 years from prison to R.Kellywhose real name is Robert Sylvester Kellyfor crimes of child pornography and other associated charges.
This decision comes after, in February 2023, the singer was sentenced, also facing a previous sentence of 30 years for extortion and sex traffickingadding up a maximum total of 31 years between bars. The ruling rejects the defense arguments that suggested that the crimes had prescribed, maintaining firm the sentence against the singer for his actions against minors.
The well-known musician, whose actions for years evaded legal repercussions thanks to a “complex plan to keep the victims silent,” faces criminal consequences for the first time, setting a significant precedent, particularly for the impact on the movement. #MeToo.
Highlighting this trial, the judge Amy St. Eve noted in his ruling: “For years, Robert Sylvester Kelly abused underage girls… But Kelly, raising a statute of limitations defense, believes he delayed the charges long enough to avoid them entirely. The statute says otherwise, so we affirm his conviction.” These words underscore the severity and persistence of Kelly’s abuse over the years.
In addition to the legal relevance of this confirmation of the sentence, the impact in the public and media sphere is notable, especially considering that Kelly He was an influential artist R&B during the 1990s, with global hits like “I Believe I Can Fly.” The fall of an artist of such caliber underscores the growing consequences that public figures face for illegal and abusive behavior, regardless of their status or influence.
Jennifer BonjeanKelly’s lawyer, informed US media that her client will seek to appeal the decision to the Supreme Courtindicating that the case could have future legal developments.
The court’s decision reflects the end of a long period of impunity for Kelly and at the same time symbolizes significant progress in the fight against sexual abuse and child exploitation. The case is especially relevant in situations where the victims come from marginalized communities, as occurred during the trial where the majority of the accusers were black women.
Both the trial and the confirmation of the sentence mark a milestone in efforts to hold public figures accountable for their illegal actions. Furthermore, the federal conviction in Chicago, which occurred a year after the conviction in New York, stands out for its legal implications as well as its cultural and social significance. Its about first major sexual abuse trial that focuses on the vulnerability of black women against this type of crimes.
In 2022, R.Kelly He was jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one of organized crime in a New York court. Months later, he was convicted of child sexual abuse in a second federal trial in Chicago.
The story of the accusations begins in 1994 when Kelly, then 27 years old, secretly married the singer Aaliyah, 15 years old, In Chicago. The relationship, which was annulled in 1995, added controversy and controversy around the singer. In the years that followed, he was sued on multiple occasions for sexual assault and abuseincluding cases in 1996 for Tiffany Hawkins and in 2001 by Tracy Sampsona former Epic Records employee.
Between 2002 and 2004, he faced numerous legal charges, including 21 accusations of creating child sexual abuse videos, to which were added more charges in Florida for images of sexual abuse of minors. Although the latter were dismissed, the scandals continued.
In 2017, a detailed Buzzfeed investigation accused R.Kelly of holding six women in a sexual “cult.” The accusations escalated to a critical point in 2019, when the documentary Surviving R. Kelly Lifetime’s program detailed exhaustive allegations against the musician, leading to his dismissal from his record label and new legal accusations in Chicago for aggravated sexual abuse.
In July 2019, he was charged with federal charges in Illinois and Brooklyn describing an organized effort to recruit and transport minors across state lines for illegal sexual purposes. In August of that same year, he was charged with prostitution in Minnesota.
After several failed attempts to obtain bail and the assault of a fellow prisoner in 2020, the musician was brought to trial. In August and September 2021, he was found guilty of all charges in New York and subsequently found guilty of child sexual abuse at his second federal trial in Chicago in September 2022.
In November 2022, his former manager, Donnell Russell, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for stalking and harassing one of Kelly’s victims. In January 2023, a Chicago prosecutor announced that old sexual abuse and assault charges against Kelly would be dropped, noting that “sometimes justice is administered even without a conviction.” Finally, in February 2023, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual crimes against minors, although the majority of the sentence will be served concurrently with the previous 30-year sentence.
(With information from AFP)
