R. Kelly: The American singer faces decades in prison on sex trafficking charges
Written byTimes Magazine
Singer R. Kelly faces decades in prison if he is found guilty on Wednesday, nine months after he was found guilty of orchestrating programs to abuse women and children sexually.
In September, a New York jury convicted the disgraced pop star of eight counts of racketeering and sex trafficking.
The 55-year-old R&B singer faces a minimum of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.
His legal team said he did not deserve a sentence of more than a decade because "it poses no risk to today's society."
The singer - best known for hits "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Ignition (Remix)" - has been exposed as the leader of a scheme of violence and coercion to lure women and children into sexual abuse.
Prosecutors said Kelly - real name Robert Sylvester Kelly - had "grossly disregarded" his victims and showed no remorse.
"Indeed, the accused's crimes over the decades appear to have been fueled by his narcissism and belief that his musical talent freed him from the need to push his behavior - no matter how predatory, dangerous, humiliating, or offensive to others - to the extent of the crime." Adjust the law," they said.
The court also heard that Kelly illegally obtained documents to marry singer Alia when she was 15 in 1994, seven years before the singer died in a plane crash.
The expired certificate listed Alias' age as 18 years old. The marriage was annulled a few months later.
After several delays, he will be sentenced in US District Court in New York on Wednesday.
Kelly faces separate trials for sex with children and disability in Chicago. He also faces sexual assault charges in Illinois and Minnesota.
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