On Thursday singer R. Kelly was sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison for sexual crimes against minors. This comes after he is already serving a 30-year sentence for similar charges.
Kelly, 56, was found guilty on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in February. The charges involved four victims, three of whom were minors at the time of the abuse.
Kelly's victims testified during his trial, telling harrowing stories of how the singer had abused them over several years. One victim, who was 14 at the time of the abuse, said that Kelly had sexually abused her and then urinated on her.
The singer was first accused of sexual abuse in 1994 when he married the late singer Aaliyah when she was just 15 years old.
This latest sentence marks the end of a long and difficult legal battle for Kelly's victims. The singer has long been accused of sexual abuse, but it wasn't until 2019 that his crimes caught up with him.
In January of that year, Lifetime aired the documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly". The series featured interviews with several of Kelly's victims, as well as people who had worked with the singer.
The series sparked a national conversation about sexual abuse and led to a renewed effort to hold Kelly accountable for his crimes. In February 2019, he was finally indicted of sexual abuse.
Kelly has long denied the allegations against him, and he has never been convicted of a crime before this latest sentence. Despite his denials, there is a mountain of evidence against Kelly.
This latest conviction is seen as a major victory for the #MeToo movement, which has sought to bring attention to the widespread prevalence of sexual abuse and harassment.
Kelly, who has sold millions of records, rose to fame in the 1990s with hits such as "I Believe I Can Fly." But his career has now been jeopardized by allegations of sexual abuse.
Kelly's victims have finally received some justice, but there is still more work to be done. The singer should be held accountable for his crimes, and his victims should receive the support they need to heal.
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