R Kelly will probably die in jail after being given 30-year prison sentence

• R&B singer R Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
• He was convicted last year for racketeering and sexual assault.
• Given his age, he could die in prison before he is eligible for release from prison.

R Kelly R&B singer, 55, was just sentenced to 30 years in prison following a conviction in federal court last year for racketeering and sexual assault – meaning it’s very likely he could die behind bars.

On Wednesday (29 June), Kelly appeared before seven of his accusers, who gave victim impact statements outlining their interactions with the musician.

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To “protect the public” from Kelly, the prosecution has requested that he spend more than 25 years in prison. Given that the average life expectancy in the US is roughly 78, his 30-year sentence means that he could be 85 when he is eligible for release.

He was accused on nine offences in September 2021, including eight Mann Act crimes and one racketeering charge.

The Mann Act bans the interstate transportation of women and girls for “any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offence.”

Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing the three women who testified against the singer, informed reporters that none would be able to “undo the harm that has been done to these victims.”

The defense attorneys that are representing Kelly argued that he should only be subjected to no more than 10 years in prison. They also said that anything longer than that was a “tantamount to a death sentence.”

The artist’s defence team even made an attempt to make the case that the singer should be given a reduced sentence due to his upbringing as he experienced sexual abuse as a child.

“Mr Kelly rejects that he’s this monster,” said Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean.

Following the decision, Breon Peace, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, spoke with media.

“R Kelly is a predator. He continued committing his crimes for almost 30 years and avoided punishment – until today,” he said.

Peace added: “These are the voices of mostly Black and brown women and children who were heard and believed. Justice was finally achieved.”

In the 1990s, Kelly first came under fire for allegedly having sex with children.

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He married Aaliyah, a fellow musician, in 1994 when she was only 15 years old, purportedly to prevent her from testifying against him in court.

He was also accused of having pictures of child sexual abuse in 2002, but he was cleared of the charges in 2008.