R. Kelly is a serious threat to the public, according to Federal prosecutors who say that the disgraced R&B singer should be locked up for at least 25 years.
Last September, R. Kelly was found guilty of a decades-long campaign of sexual abuse against women and children, both boys and girls. He was convicted of all nine counts against him and will be sentenced on June 29 in the sex trafficking trial.
Prosecutors say R. Kelly relied “on his fame, money and popularity as an R&B recording star… to both carry and conceal his crimes.”
“He continued his crimes and avoided punishment for them for almost 30 years and must now be held to account,” The US Attorney’s Office wrote in legal filings, as per New York Post.
Furthermore, they say R. Kelly needs to be behind bars for a minimum of 25 years for public protection.
“In light of the seriousness of the offenses, the need for specific deterrence and the need to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant … the government respectfully submits that a sentence in excess of 25 years is warranted,” prosecutors wrote in the 31-page filing.
R. Kelly Has Shown “No Remorse”
The documents also warn that R. Kelly “is unlikely to be deterred from further sexually abusing and exploiting children and others.” They point to the “callous disregard” he has for his victims and say he’s shown “no remorse” for his actions.
“Indeed, the defendant’s decades of crime appear to have been fueled by narcissism and a belief that his musical talent absolved him of any need to conform his conduct — no matter how predatory, harmful, humiliating or abuse to other — to the strictures of the law,” the US Attorney’s office stated.
R. Kelly faces further federal charges in Illinois for child pornography and obstruction. He will also have to answer Minnesota state prosecutors’ charges of engaging in prostitution with a minor.