Singer R. Kelly sentenced to 30 years in prison 2:26
(CNN) --
R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 29, 2022, after being convicted in 2021 on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges stemming from his years-long efforts to use his fame to catch the victims he sexually abused.
For decades the singer vehemently denied allegations of abuse, manipulation and inappropriate encounters with girls and young women.
This is a timeline of his life, music career, scandals, and ultimately his sentence to decades in prison.
January 1992 — R. Kelly's musical debut
R. Kelly's debut album, "Born into the 90's", is released a year after signing a contract with Jive Records.
It features his group Public Announcement and includes the hit singles "Honey Love", "Slow Dance (Hey Mr. DJ)" and "Ella She Ella's Got That Vibe".
Fans will later notice that one of the lyrics to the latter reads, "Little cute Aaliyah's got it."
November 1993 — Kelly consolidates her musical style
R. Kelly releases his solo album "12 Play".
Songs like "Bump n' Grind" and "Your Body's Callin'" firmly cement his image as an artist specializing in sexual lyrics.
August 1994 — R. Kelly and Aaliyah
The 27-year-old singer is reportedly marrying his 15-year-old protégé, Aaliyah Haughton.
R. Kelly is the main songwriter and producer on the singer's debut album "Age Ain't Nothing But a Number."
Vibe magazine then publishes a copy of what they say is the couple's marriage license, which states that Haughton is 18 years old.
The marriage is annulled the following year after Aaliyah's family finds out, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Haughton dies in a plane crash in August 2001.
This is how singer R. Kelly was arrested in Chicago
R. Kelly Found Guilty: Hear the Charges <em><strong>(</strong><strong>2021 Video)</strong></em> 2:31
1996 — Kelly marries
R. Kelly marries dancer and choreographer Andrea Lee in a private ceremony.
December 1996 — Legal troubles begin
Tiffany Hawkins files a lawsuit against R. Kelly, as well as his record, publishing and management companies, claiming personal and emotional harm stemming from an alleged sexual relationship with Kelly, which she says began when she was 15 and ended when she was 18 years.
That case was reportedly settled out of court.
Around the same time, the single "I Believe I Can Fly" is included as a soundtrack to the movie "Space Jam" starring Michael Jordan.
The song becomes one of the singer's biggest hits.
December 2000 — Her sex scandals make headlines
Jim Derogatis and Abdon M. Pallasch publish their first report in the Chicago Sun-Times on allegations that Kelly had sex with minors as young as 15.
The article describes the Hawkins lawsuit and R. Kelly's marriage to Haughton.
According to the story, Chicago police had twice investigated allegations that Kelly was having sex with an underage girl, but dropped the investigations because the underage girl was uncooperative.
A representative for Kelly declined to comment.
January 2001 — A recording leaks to the media
Derogatis anonymously receives a video that appears to show Kelly having sex with a young woman, The Sun-Times later reports.
Due to concerns that the person on the tape may be a minor, he turns himself in to the Chicago police.
August 2001 — Kelly faces more legal problems
Tracy Sampson, an aspiring rapper and former Epic Records intern, files a lawsuit against Kelly, alleging that he began a sexual relationship with her when she was 17 years old.
The case is settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
Lady Gaga talks about R. Kelly and plans to remove the song they made together from iTunes
February 2002 — Denies allegations
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that police are investigating Kelly after another sex tape was posted anonymously.
“The girl in the video, now 17, was identified by her aunt, who said her niece would be 14 years old at the time the tape was made, based on her appearance,” the newspaper reported.
"Kelly can also be heard on the tape referring to the girl by her first name."
R. Kelly denies the allegations.
"Not true. All I know is this: I have some people in the past that I've fired... people I thought were my friends who aren't my friends," he told WMAQ Channel 5 at the time.
"It's ***, and that's how we're going to treat it."
Singer R. Kelly performs at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Salt Lake City on Feb. 8, 2002. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)MOREHIDE
March 2002 - Sex tape copied and sold
Pirated copies of the "R. Kelly sex tape" are being sold on the streets, according to various news reports.
April 2002 — Case Settled Out of Court
The singer was sued by Patrice Jones, who alleges that he was 16 years old when he began a sexual relationship with R. Kelly.
She also accuses R. Kelly of pressuring her to terminate a pregnancy that resulted from their alleged encounters.
Kelly's attorney, Gerry Margolis, says the lawsuit is "a collection of half-truths, distortions and outright lies."
The case is settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
May 2002 — Another sex scandal is settled out of court
Dancer Montina "Tina" Woods, 33, is suing Kelly after she alleged that he secretly recorded their sexual encounter and that the tape was being sold.
Kelly's representatives call the lawsuit "ridiculous" and "meaningless."
The case is later settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
June 2002 - R. Kelly charged with child pornography
R. Kelly is charged with 21 counts related to child pornography as a result of the second anonymously submitted videotape in which he appears to have sexual intercourse with a girl.
The singer is arrested at his vacation home in Florida.
Kelly maintains his innocence and is released on bail.
September 2005 — Marital Strain
R. Kelly's wife requests a protection order.
The couple later reconcile and she rescinds the order.
May 2007 — R. Kelly's wife defends him from his sex scandals
Andrea Kelly gives an interview to Essence magazine.
"What doesn't break you makes you stronger, and I am living proof," said Andrea Kelly.
"I know that the accusations against my husband do not reflect on me as an individual. They do not reflect on me as a mother or a wife, and they do not reflect on me in my daily life."
May 2008 — Jury Selection in Child Porn Trial
After years of delays, jury selection finally begins for Kelly's child pornography trial, which has been reduced to 14 counts.
June 2008 — Kelly acquitted
R. Kelly is found not guilty on all counts after a day of jury deliberation.
January 2009 — R. Kelly divorces
Kelly and his wife finalize their divorce.
July 2014 — Protest against the singer
The singer's scheduled performance at the Fashion Meets Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio is canceled after protests.
"The people of Columbus did not feel that R. Kelly's reputation was a reflection of their community, and they took to social media to express their opinions strongly," says the festival's director of communications, Melissa Dickson, in a statement.
"FMMF listened to her concerns and took action."
December 2015 — Kelly walks out of an interview
R. Kelly storms out of an interview with "HuffPost Live" after the host asks him questions about past allegations of sexual misconduct.
July 2017 — BuzzFeed article makes new accusations
BuzzFeed publishes an explosive article outlining allegations that Kelly is holding a group of adult women against their will as part of what some of her parents say is a "cult."
A group of people cited in the article allege that their daughters, ages 18 to 31, are part of an entourage of at least six women attached to Kelly.
Timothy and Jonjelyn Savage told CNN they believe their adult daughter, Joycelyn, is having a sexual relationship with R. Kelly and he is manipulating her into cutting off contact with the outside world.
Joycelyn Savage denies those claims and asks her parents, through a video shared with TMZ, to stop talking about her relationship with Kelly.
Oronike Odeleye starts a petition to get Kelly's music off radio in Atlanta, which gets the attention of activist Kenyette Barnes and the hashtag #MuteRKelly is born.
Protests against R. Kelly in January 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
August 2017 — New accusations emerge
Jerhonda Johnson Pace, 24, breaks a confidentiality agreement, telling BuzzFeed she was a 15-year-old fan when she met the singer in 2008 outside the Chicago courtroom where he was being tried on child pornography charges.
She alleges that she began a sexual relationship with Kelly when she was 16 years old.
R. Kelly denies the allegation.
October 2017 — More complaints
Rolling Stone publishes an interview with former Dallas DJ Kitti Jones.
She alleges that she had a relationship with Kelly when she was 30 years old, mirroring her allegations in the BuzzFeed article.
April 2018 — More protests against R. Kelly
The Women of Color group within the Time's Up movement is calling on the entertainment industry to cut ties with Kelly.
May 2018 — The singer is in legal trouble again
A 20-year-old woman files a lawsuit against the singer, alleging that he illegally gave her alcohol, assaulted her and gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
According to the lawsuit obtained by CNN, Faith Rodgers says she was 19 years old when she met the singer.
July 2018 — R. Kelly responds in song
The singer continues to deny the accusations and releases the song "I Admit" as a response to his critics.
December 2018 — Movie screening canceled due to threats
A New York screening of the documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly" is evacuated after a threatening phone call is made to the venue.
January 2019 — 'Surviving R. Kelly' Documentary Debut
"Surviving R. Kelly" opens to strong ratings and renews calls for Kelly to be investigated.
Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, tells CNN that her client "has done nothing wrong."
"Someone with an agenda has made a successful piece," Greenberg says of the docuseries.
"(Kelly) is out in public. She's not hiding. There's no secret compound with sex slaves."
February 2019 — Kelly indicted on new charges
Attorney Michael Avenatti tells CNN that prosecutors investigating Kelly are looking into a recently released video that appears to show the music star having sex with a young woman.
A grand jury in Cook County, Illinois, indicts Kelly on 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, involving four alleged victims.
The indictment charges Kelly with sexual acts with three girls over the age of 13 but under the age of 17. There is no age range for one of the alleged victims.
The singer pleads not guilty.
Kelly is jailed on February 22 and released on February 25 after posting $100,000 bail.
March 2019 — Kelly gives an interview to CBS News
Gayle King of CBS News interviews R. Kelly.
In the interview the singer says that he is innocent of the accusations.
"I'm so tired of all those lies," says Kelly.
May 2019 — More Charges in Cook County
A Cook County grand jury returns an 11-count indictment on new charges ranging from aggravated criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual assault to aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
R. Kelly faces new charges of sexual violence 0:26
July 2019 — Federal Indictments
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois releases a 13-count indictment that includes charges of child pornography and obstruction of justice.
R. Kelly is also charged with sex trafficking in New York and attempting to influence a case in Atlanta in a five-count indictment from the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, a source with knowledge of the arrest said.
August 2019 — Prostitution Charges and Plea of Not Guilty
Kelly was charged with two counts of engaging in prostitution with a person under the age of 18 in Minnesota in connection with an alleged incident that occurred in July 2001 at a promotional event.
According to the complaint, the singer gave a then 17-year-old girl his autograph and a phone number.
After calling, she was allegedly directed to her hotel in Minneapolis.
Kelly allegedly gave the teen $200 to dance for him and undress, according to the complaint.
The embattled artist has also pleaded not guilty to a series of charges in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, including charges of extortion, kidnapping, forced labor and sexual exploitation of a minor.
September 2019 — Trial date set in Illinois
Authorities announced that R. Kelly's trial date on 13 federal charges in Illinois has been set for April 27, 2020.
R. Kelly remained in custody at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center.
A warrant was issued for him in Minnesota's Hennepin County District Court for failing to appear, a spokesperson for the county attorney's office told CNN.
El abogado de Kelly, Steve Greenberg, recurrió a Twitter para disputar que su cliente no se presentó y dijo: "No recibí ninguna notificación de los procedimientos judiciales, ni él tampoco. No me resistí a su comparecencia, ni él tampoco".
Octubre de 2019 — Audiencia en el tribunal federal perdida
Una infección en la uña del pie hizo que Kelly no asistiera a una audiencia en el tribunal federal.
Greenberg dijo que su cliente estaba usando una bota para caminar después de que le quitaron la uña del pie y no quería que nadie le pisara el pie.
Diciembre de 2019 — Nuevos cargos y declaración de inocencia
Greenberg declara inocente a Kelly en el caso de extorsión del cantante en Nueva York después de que el Departamento de Justicia agregara un cargo de soborno contra Kelly, acusándolo de obtener una identificación falsa para una mujer no identificada en 1994.
The New York Times, citando a una persona familiarizada con el asunto, informó que Jane Doe era la cantante Aaliyah, que tenía 15 años cuando Kelly se casó ese mismo año.
Aaliyah murió en 2001 a los 22 años en un accidente aéreo.
Enero de 2020 — Lanzan la temporada 2 de 'Surviving R. Kelly'
Lifetime comienza a transmitir "Surviving R. Kelly Part II: The Reckoning".
La serie de cinco episodios presenta entrevistas desde una variedad de perspectivas, incluidas más presuntas víctimas, familiares, simpatizantes, psicólogos y expertos culturales y legales.
13 de marzo de 2020
R. Kelly enfrenta nuevas acusaciones. Una acusación actualizada agrega cinco actos de extorsión y acusa al cantante de cuatro cargos más de violación de la Ley Mann por presuntamente coaccionar y transportar a mujeres y niñas a través de las fronteras estatales para participar en actividades sexuales ilegales.
28 de agosto de 2020
Los abogados de R. Kelly dicen que un compañero de prisión lo golpeó en su celda de la cárcel de Illinois y piden su liberación.
8 de septiembre de 2020
El juicio de R. Kelly se retrasa debido a la pandemia. Un tribunal de apelaciones rechaza su apelación para ser puesto en libertad bajo fianza antes de su juicio.
9 de junio de 2021
R. Kelly solicita cambios importantes en su equipo legal, solo dos meses antes del inicio de su juicio federal en Brooklyn. La mitad de su equipo legal, los abogados Steve Greenberg y Michael Leonard, se retiran del caso, dejando a Tom Farinella y Nicole Blank Becker como representantes legales de Kelly.
23 de junio de 2021
Kelly es trasladado a la cárcel de Brooklyn antes de su juicio en agosto. El abogado de Nueva York Deveraux Cannick, ex asistente del fiscal de distrito de la Oficina del Fiscal de Distrito del Bronx, se une al equipo legal de Kelly.
9 de agosto de 2021 — Selección de jurado
Comienza la selección del jurado en el juicio de Kelly. Se seleccionarán doce jurados y seis suplentes. Debido a los protocolos de covid-19, la jueza federal de distrito Ann Donnelly determina en una audiencia previa al juicio que los testigos del caso testificarán desde el estrado del jurado y los miembros del jurado se distribuirán en la galería. Los medios de comunicación y los miembros del público tendrán acceso a un video de los procedimientos, pero probablemente no podrán ver las pruebas que se presentan en el juicio.
18 de agosto de 2021 — Alegatos
Comienzan los alegatos iniciales y se espera que el juicio dure entre seis y ocho semanas. Se seleccionaron doce jurados anónimos, siete hombres y cinco mujeres, y seis suplentes. R. Kelly se ha declarado inocente de todos los cargos.
Septiembre de 2021 — Condenan a R. Kelly en caso de delincuencia organizada y tráfico sexual
Un jurado determinó que R. Kelly es culpable de cargos de delincuencia organizada y tráfico sexual.
En este caso federal en el Distrito Este de Nueva York, Kelly enfrentó un total de nueve cargos: un cargo de crimen organizado, con 14 actos subyacentes que incluían cargos de explotación sexual de un menor, secuestro, soborno y tráfico sexual y también enfrentaba ocho cargos adicionales de violaciones de la Ley Mann, una ley de tráfico sexual. Un abogado de Kelly dijo en ese momento que la defensa está considerando presentar una apelación.
29 de junio de 2022 — Sentencian a R. Kelly a 30 años de prisión
R. Kelly fue sentenciado a 30 años de prisión, luego de su condena en 2021 por cargos federales de extorsión y tráfico sexual derivados de sus esfuerzos durante años para usar su fama para atrapar a las víctimas de las que abusó sexualmente.
Los fiscales le habían pedido al juez que sentenciara a Kelly, de 55 años, a más de 25 años tras las rejas, mientras que sus abogados defensores pidieron 10 o menos, diciendo que la solicitud de los fiscales era "equivalente a cadena perpetua".
Kelly, cuyo nombre completo es Robert Sylvester Kelly, vestía un uniforme de prisión color canela, anteojos de montura oscura y una máscara negra en la audiencia del miércoles, a la que también asistieron víctimas del caso. El tribunal escuchó declaraciones de impacto de siete de las víctimas de Kelly, incluida Jane Doe 2, quien testificó en el juicio.
"It's been 23 years since we met, and you've victimized a lot of girls since then," he said, turning to Kelly.
She later added, "Now it's your turn to have your freedom taken away."
-- CNN's Sonia Moghe, Kendall Trammell, Brad Parks, Steve Almasy, Lauren del Valle, Doug Criss, Darran Simon, Omar Jimenez, Dakin Andone, Jennifer Goelz and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.
R.Kelly