R. Kelly

Singer-composer R. Kelly—aka Robert Sylvester Kelly—rose to fame in the American music scene as the “King of R&B” and “King of Pop-Soul.” This celebrity status has also led to his downfall. On June 29, US District Judge Ann Donnelly, who had found Kelly guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking in September, sentenced him to 30 years in prison for using his influence to entice women and children into sexual slavery. “You taught them that love is enslavement and violence,” Donnelly told Kelly, who rose to popularity through songs like “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Ignition.” There were no accolades during his six-week trial last year. Instead, he was forced to listen to stories of how he broke the spirit of his victims. One woman recalled how Kelly—like a pied piper— only “grew in wickedness” with every new victim. Another said: “I literally wished I would die because of how you made me feel.” Lizette Martinez, who was only 17 when she met Kelly, charged that the singer evaded justice for years because of the “power of celebrity.” He is awaiting another trial for child pornography, obstruction of justice and sexual abuse.