This Wednesday, 29 June, R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison as part of his trial for sex trafficking and association with organized crime nine months after being found guilty by a jury in a Brooklyn court in which more than four dozen of his victims testified.
This has been the outcome of a case that began several decades ago, when the first public accusations against the star of the RB emerged, although it was necessary to wait until 2019 for his arrest to take place and finally enter the prison, where he has spent the last three years.
Several of the women he abused taking advantage of his fame and power, in some cases while they were still minors, shared their testimonies yesterday before that the sentence be read while the musician remained impassive.
He, for his part, rejected the possibility of doing a statement and did not react when he finally heard the sentence he faces.
Initially R. Kelly’s legal team only asked for 10 years in prison, the minimum for the charges brought against him, alleging that he no longer poses a danger to society. In comparison, the 30 that are now ahead represent a victory for the victims, but not all of them are satisfied with the outcome of the case.
Lizzette Martínez , who was one of the people who shared his testimony, does not consider that it is enough for having organized an entire network that exploited young aspiring artists and minors, although he also admits that he never thought that R. Kelly would end up facing justice for their crimes.
“Personally I don’t think it’s enough, but I’m satisfied,” she assured in a public statement after learning of the sentence
R. Kelly still faces another trial in Chicago, set to begin in August, for possession of child pornography, and charges have also been filed against him in Illinois and Minnesota.