R&B star R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday for charges related to nearly 30 years’ worth of allegations that he physically and sexually abused women and minors.
His 2021 trial was one of the most high-profile cases to spring from the #MeToo movement. It is also one of the most prominent cases in which the victims were mostly Black women.
Prosecutors had asked for a 25-year sentence while Kelly’s defense team had argued for 14 to 17½ years.
“The public has to be protected from behaviors like this,” Judge Ann M. Donnelly said as she delivered Kelly’s sentence, according to media reports. “These crimes were calculated and carefully planned and regularly executed for almost 25 years.”
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