Judge: "Not Only Sexual Abuse but Also Violence, Abuse, and Emotional Control Cases"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] American R&B star R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges including sexual abuse of minors, including his young fans. The heavy sentence reflects circumstances showing that he emotionally controlled and abused the victims beyond simple prostitution and sexual violence.
According to the Associated Press on the 29th (local time), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn sentenced Kelly, who was indicted on charges including child prostitution and extortion, to 30 years in prison and a $100,000 fine (approximately 129 million KRW).
Kelly rose to fame as a representative American R&B singer-songwriter in the 1990s and early 2000s. His signature song "I Believe I Can Fly" also gained popularity and attention in Korea.
On the day, Federal Judge Ann Donnelly said, "The weapon you used was sex, but this trial is not just about sex; it is about violence, abuse, and (mental) control," adding, "You taught the victims that love is slavery and violence."
During the trial, multiple victims testified directly about the sadistic sexual violence and grooming (psychologically controlling victims before committing sexual violence) they endured. Among the victims were those who became targets after attending Kelly's concerts. They testified that they were forced to sign a confidential form called "Rob's Rules," and if they failed to follow the rules set by Kelly, they were subjected to violence and threats. In some cases, victims claimed that they were smeared with excrement on their faces as punishment for breaking the rules. According to testimonies, Kelly concealed the fact that he had a sexually transmitted disease and infected several victims with herpes, and he recorded multiple sexual assault incidents.
Kelly is also charged with impregnating 15-year-old R&B singer Aaliyah in 1994 when he was 27 and fraudulently marrying her by obtaining a driver's license that listed her age as 18. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 at the age of 22.
Kelly remained silent throughout the trial, not uttering a word, but through his lawyers, he reportedly described the accusers as "voluntary girlfriends" or "die-hard fans." His attorneys argue that "(Kelly) had a childhood exposed to long-term sexual abuse, poverty, and violence," and claim he should receive a sentence of less than 10 years.
His criminal acts had circulated as "rumors" in the 1990s. Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, he was sued in 1997 by a woman on charges of sexual assault and harassment of a minor, and later indicted in Chicago on child pornography charges but was acquitted by a jury in 2008. He continued his active music career until the late 2010s when the #MeToo movement emerged, and related documentaries were produced, bringing attention to his crimes.
Kelly, who has been incarcerated since 2019, is expected to appeal and faces another trial related to child pornography and obstruction of justice charges scheduled for August 15.
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