U.S Singer R. Kelly could be facing 10 years in prison after his sentencing on Wednesday after being found guilty of running a scheme to sexually abuse women and children nine months prior. In a court hearing in September, a New York jury convicted the disgraced and highly criticized singer of racketeering and 8 counts of sex trafficking.
The 55-year-old Rhythm & Blues singer will spend at least a decade in prison, with the highest possible sentence being life imprisonment. Prosecutors have stated that the convict should spend at least 25 years in jail. His legal and defense team have argued that the canceled pop star deserved no more than the minimum sentencing of ten years because he was currently not a threat to the public.
The singer that became famous for his hit songs I Believe I Can Fly and Ignition (Remix) – was found guilty to have been the head of a destructive and cajoling plot to coerce women and children for him to abuse sexually.
The six-week trial displayed how he trafficked women between various U.S states, aided by his managers, security guards, and other escort members for more than 20 years. Prosecutors had confessed that R. Kelly – whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, displayed a hardened disregard for his victims and no pity.