How many years of prison was R Kelly sentenced to? Judge orders R&B star to pay over $300,000 in restitution to victim

On June 29, 2022, a New York court sentenced R&B star R Kelly to 30 years in prison for racketeering and human trafficking. He was also accused of being a s*xual predator, with prosecutors alleging that he would groom and abuse underaged women.

Rolling Stone reported on September 14, 2022, R Kelly was found guilty of 3 charges of producing inappropriate films involving minors. The court ordered him to pay $300,000 in restitution to a victim he reportedly abused.

The Associated Press reported that according to prosecutors, R Kelly was a serial predator who used his connections and influence in the entertainment industry to groom a wide network of young women and underaged girls.

In February, he will face sentencing for additional charges related to the exploitation of minors and obstruction of justice in Chicago.

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Victims speak out against R Kelly

According to Billboard, during the June 29 court case, prosecutors brought 40 witnesses to speak out against R Kelly. Ten of these victims, eight women and two men, remained anonymous.

In the sentencing documents, prosecutors claimed that R Kelly had preyed upon young women for decades.

The memo read:

“[Kelly] continued his crimes and avoided punishment for them for almost 30 years and must now be held to account."

Witnesses claimed that after subjecting his victims to abuse, he would prevent them from speaking out against the authorities through several coercive methods.

The singer was accused of forcing victims to sign non-disclosure agreements that would prevent them from making allegations against him. Kelly also supposedly controlled several victims through the threat that he would release suggestive footage he had recorded of them.

As per the Associated Press, one accuser said that Kelly made them do things that broke their spirit and that they wished their life would end because of how he made them feel.

Another victim told the court that she was proud of the victims for speaking out against the accused predator. She said that they were no longer "the preyed-on individuals" that they once were.

Another accuser discussed how, since most of Kelly's alleged victims were minorities, the crimes went under the radar for such an extended period of time. The victim added that until Kelly was sentenced, they didn't believe that the judicial system would "come through for Black and brown girls."

In the September 14 sentencing, the anonymous victim, who will receive restitution, claimed that he gave her a disease during the course of their relationship together. She believes he may have passed it on intentionally knowing that he had the disease.

The Guardian reported that the New York court has not yet determined when Kelly will be required to pay the victim.