Imagine getting a 30-year sentence at the age of 55years. Rather than enjoying your hard work, you are forced to live a miserable life behind bars as you age.
Robert Sylvester Kellly, famously known as R. Kelly, the R&B superstar will be forced to spend his retirement period in prison.
R. Kelly’s allegations became more seriously last year after several victims presented cases of child abuse, racketeering plus sex trafficking.
On 30th June 2022, R. Kelly was sentenced for using his celebrity status to sexually abuse young women and children.
During the court proceeding in New York, one of R. Kelly’s victims testified of how he preyed on them and misled them despite looking upon him as a mentor.
She stated, “you made me do things that broke my spirit. I wished I would die because of how low you made me feel”. She directly faced R. Kelly whose eyes were downcast, “do you remember that?”
After one year of testifying and appealing; R. Kelly’s conviction proved that justice will always prevail despite fame and riches.
Jovante Cunning who was among the victims and also R. Kelly’s backup signer stated, “there wasn’t a day in my life up until the moment that I believed that the judicial system would come through for black and brown girls”.
Jovante added, “I stand here very proud of my judicial system, very proud of my fellow survivors, and very pleased with the outcome”.
The Series of allegations against R. Kelly
Marrying a child.
R. Kelly was first accused of child abuse after marrying Aaliyah, who was 15 years old.
In February 1995, the court annulled the marriage after discovering Aaliyah had been married at 15 years old in 1994.
R. Kelly’s former tour manager testified in the court and stated that R. Kelly had bribed one of the government officials to fake an identification card for Aaliyah as an 18-year-old in 1994.
R. Kelly at 27 years old married the 15-year-old Aaliyah secretly in Chicago. However, Aaliyah did not comment on their marriage issue when she was alive probably out of fear that R. Kelly would not support her music career.
Sexually assaulting Tiffany Hawkins.
In 1996, R. Kelly was accused of emotional and personal injuries by Tiffany Hawkins, who had a sexual relationship with R. Kelly despite being a minor.
Tiffany Hawkins recalls having sex with R. Kelly in 1991 when she was 15 years until she turned 18 years.
Tiffany Hwakins demanded $10m in damages, but later accepted $250,000 which saw the case come to an end in 1998.
A sexual relationship with a minor.
In 2001, Tracy Sampson an intern at Epic Record accused R. Kelly of indecent sexual relationship when she was 17 years old.
Tracy stated,” he often tried to control every aspect of life including who I would see and where I would go, he treated me as his sex object and cast me aside”.
According to New York Post, R . Kelly settled Tracy’s $50,000 suit despite denying the sex and child abuse allegations.
Sexual assault and child abuse are among offenses that change the entire mindset and well-being of an individual. Although they experienced physical and mental torture, the court has been able to restore some dignity to some of R. Kelly’s survivors. But I feel that R. Kelly deserves the death penalty or life imprisonment.
