It’s been 20 years since R. Kelly first faced criminal charges related to alleged sexual misdeeds, but in a federal courtroom in New York on Wednesday, the Chicago-born R&B star will be in uncharted territory.
by a jury of racketeering conspiracy and eight other counts alleging he used his organization to lure and trap girls, boys and young women to satisfy his predatory desires.[Don’t miss] R.
“For nearly 25 years, the defendant used his fame and his enterprise to lure young victims—girls, boys, young women and men—into abusive sexual relationships, often promising to advance their musical careers,” she wrote.
“God’s will will be done, and truth will prevail,” she told a Tribune reporter. “I know God will work it out, and Robert will be out.” Bonjean’s filing also revealed that one of the victims from his trial wrote Kelly an “unsolicited letter” in April apologizing for her testimony and saying she was “threatened.”
Before Donnelly issues the sentence, Kelly will be given the opportunity to address the court — a process that carries added intrigue since his attorney has pledged to appeal the conviction and Kelly faces another trial in Chicago’s federal court in August alleging further sexual misconduct.[Don’t miss] ‘If Kellz goes down, everybody’s going down’: R.
In response, prosecutors wrote in a court filing that Kelly’s denials and minimizations only show that he still accepts no responsibility, “and that he is unlikely to be deterred from committing future crimes.” “The defendant’s deliberately false statements are an additional reason to impose a sentence in excess of 25 years as requested by the government,” prosecutors wrote. “Those statements make clear that the defendant takes no responsibility for his criminal conduct and is willing to lie to receive a more lenient sentence — conduct that further demonstrates the need for specific deterrence and to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant.
Gunn, 39, of Bolingbrook, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn with making threats involving serious bodily injury or death.