American R&B singer R. Kelly (55) was sentenced to 30 years in prison in New York on Wednesday. In September 2021, R. Kelly was found guilty of nine crimes in New York, including human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping and bribery. His victims had fought for years to bring him to justice.
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New York prosecutors say American R&B singer R. Kelly “has been abusing his status for decades, fueled by narcissism. This gentleman is convinced that the world cannot do without him and that underage girls should be grateful to him for the opportunity he has given them. R. Kelly is a danger to society and should be kept under lock and key for as long as possible,” said a spokesman for the prosecutors.
During the trials, witnesses said, among other things, how they were forced to have sex with Kelly and that they had to follow his strict rules. According to his former personal assistant Cheryl Mack, the women had to beg for food or ask permission to go to the toilet. “He’s a master of manipulation.”
Aaliyah
Since the 90s, the singer has been regularly accused of luring and abusing underage girls. For example, in 1994 he illegally married R&B singer Aaliyah, who was then 15 years old. Her age was allegedly falsified to 18 years on the marriage papers. In 1997, Tiffany Hawkins accused him of rape. She allegedly had a sexual relationship with him when she was 15. The case was resolved with a $250,000 settlement.
In 2008 it did come to a trial. That year he was on trial for making child pornography, after a tape came to light in 2002 showing he had sex with an underage girl. He was acquitted, because it could not be proven that the girl in the images was a minor.
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