R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. According to TMZ, Kelly faced a maximum sentence of life in prison and federal prosecutors asked for a minimum of 25.
Judge Anna Donnelly told Kelly before the sentencing, “These victims were disposable to you. You left in your wake a trail of broken lives … you taught them that love is enslavement and violence and humiliation.”
As the sentencing was read, Kelly, who wore black glasses and a khaki shirt, had no reaction.
A few women made victim impact statements before the sentence was rendered. A woman who identified as Angela, testified that she was sexually assaulted by Kelly when she was a teenager, calling him a “pied piper” who lured children with fame. She added, “With every addition of a new victim, you grew in wickedness. You used your fame and power to groom and coach underage boys and girls for your own sexual gratification.”
Lizette Martinez, who was in the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series, said, “Robert, you destroyed so many people’s lives.”
Kelly, 55, was found guilty last September of all charges against him in Brooklyn federal court. They included racketeering based on sexual exploitation of children, kidnapping, forced labor, and violations of the Mann Act, which barred the transport of people across state lines for sex.
R. Kelly’s attorneys are expected to appeal the sentencing, which also comes with a fine of $100,000.