JUST IN: SIKAT NA SINGER KULONG NG 30 YEARS

JUST IN: SIKAT NA SINGER KULONG NG 30 YEARS

NEW YORK, USA – R. Kelly was sentenced on Wednesday, June 29, to 30 years in prison, following the multiplatinum R&B singer’s conviction for exploiting his stardom and wealth over decades to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex.

The sentence was imposed nine months after Kelly, 55, was convicted of racketeering and sex crimes, in a trial that amplified accusations that had dogged the singer of the Grammy-winning hit “I Believe I Can Fly” for two decades.

US District Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn federal court said the evidence reflected Kelly’s “indifference to human suffering” and “sheer brutality” toward his victims.

“This case is not about sex. It’s about violence and cruelty and control,” Donnelly told Kelly. “You left in your wake a trail of broken lives.”

Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is among the most prominent people convicted of sexual misbehavior during the #MeToo movement against such conduct by prominent men. He did not speak during Wednesday’s hearing, but has repeatedly denied sexual abuse accusations.

After the sentence was read, his lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, told reporters Kelly was “devastated” by the sentence but that he would appeal.

“Thirty years in prison is like a life sentence for him,” Bonjean said.

‘DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?’

The sentencing came after several accusers, some of whom were tearful, told the judge about how Kelly promised to mentor them and help them attain stardom, only to subject them to degrading sexual treatment and physical harm.

Many said the abuse led to mental health problems that persist.

“As a teenager, I didn’t know how to say no to R. Kelly when he asked me to perform oral sex on him,” said a woman identified as Jane Doe No. 2. She then paused, looked at Kelly, and asked, “Do you remember that?”

Kelly wore a black face mask and beige prison clothing to his sentencing.