R. Kelly Sentenced to 30 Years in Sex Trafficking Case

Lifetime will return to the story of R. Kelly's crimes with Surviving R. Kelly: The Final Chapter. (Credit: Shutterstock)

A federal judge sentenced R. Kelly on Wednesday to 30 years in prison for sexual abuse and violating racketeering laws.

The Grammy-winning R&B artist was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine during the proceedings in a Brooklyn, New York courtroom.

According to the Associated Press, Kelly, 55, did not speak at the sentencing hearing but several of his accusers gave tearful statements.

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“You made me do things that broke my spirit. I literally wished I would die because of how low you made me feel,” one unnamed accuser said to the superstar singer.

Kelly kept his eyes down while the survivors spoke. The judge in the case also admonished the singer for his “cruelty.”

“Although sex was certainly a weapon that you used, this is not a case about sex. It’s a case about violence, cruelty and control,” U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly said.

The “I Believe I Can Fly” artist was found guilty in September for being the ringleader of a scheme that recruited women and underage girls for sex. He was convicted on racketeering charges and eight violations of an anti-sex-trafficking law.

Prosecutors said Kelly used his “fame, money and popularity” to systematically “prey upon children and young women for his own sexual gratification.”

The prolific producer, writer and performer, was previously indicted on 13 counts of child pornography, but was acquitted of all charges in 2008.

The decades-long allegations against him received renewed attention when Lifetime aired its 2019 docuseries Surviving R. Kelly and followed it up with Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning.


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