R&B superstar R Kelly has faced a long and grueling legal battle over allegations sexual abusens of spanning more than two decades.
However, it wasn’t until 2021 that justice was finally served, and the disgraced singer was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking.
In a Chicago federal trial in September 2022, R Kelly was convicted of sexually abusing his 14-year-old goddaughter on videotape, as well as engaging in sexual misconduct with two other minors during the 1990s.
The court heard harrowing testimonies from several accusers detailing how Kelly subjected them to perverse and sadistic acts when they were underage, including being choked, beaten, and forced to consume their bodily fluids.
This marked the second time in less than a year that R Kelly was found guilty of serious federal child-sex crimes.
In February 2023, the disgraced musician was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Illinois federal judge for his heinous actions. This came after he had already been handed a 30-year prison sentence in June 2022.
Now residing in a jail cell at the Federal Correctional Complex in North Carolina, R Kelly will serve both of his lengthy prison terms concurrently.
This comes more than a decade after being acquitted of child pornography charges at an Illinois state trial.
Despite his fall from grace, R Kelly’s music career had reached great heights in the 1990s and early 2000s, with chart-topping hits like Ignition and I Believe I Can Fly.
However, his legacy has been overshadowed by the dark shadow of his criminal activities and appalling treatment of underage girls.
The documentary series, Surviving R Kelly, shed light on the disturbing crimes of the singer and played a crucial role in his arrest.
While the series is still available on Netflix, Channel 4 will be airing it in April 2024 for those who want to delve deeper into the allegations against R Kelly.
From accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct with teenagers to running a “sex cult,” R Kelly’s history of sex crimes is extensive.
Despite some cases being dismissed, his convictions for child sex crimes serve as a stark reminder of the heinous acts he has committed.
As R Kelly serves his sentences behind bars, his victims can hopefully find some semblance of justice and closure knowing that their abuser has been held accountable for his despicable actions.
