As American singer/songwriter R. Kelly sentencing is fast approaching.
Federal prosecutors on the case have filed documents recommending the amount of time he should be sentenced, and they are suggesting that he deserves at least 25 years behind bars for sexually abusing women and girls.
A New York City jury found Kelly guilty of racketeering and multiple other counts last year at a sex-trafficking trial that was seen as a signature moment in the #MeToo movement.
Prosecutors alleged that the entourage of managers and aides who helped Kelly meet girls and ensure their obedience amounted to a criminal enterprise.
Several accusers testified in detail during the trial, alleging that Kelly subjected his victims to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage.
Kelly’s lawyers have argued that he deserves only a maximum of about 17 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
The competing defense memo suggested prosecutors’ arguments for a higher sentence overreached by falsely claiming Kelly participated in the bribery of “a public aid officer to produce an identification card” that allowed the FAKE marriage to go forward.
Kelly’s lawyers also said it was wrong to assert he should get more time because he sexually abused one of his victims – referred to in court as “Jane” – after her parents innocently entrusted him to help her with her musical career.
“The record shows that Jane’s parents directed Jane to lie to the defendant about her age and then encouraged her to seduce him,” the papers say.
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