Disgraced R&B star R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday. He was sentenced in New York by Federal Judge Ann Donnelly, who spoke at length before the sentencing.
At one point, he cited a victim statement about the impact of a woman known in court as Stephanie, who told Kelly: "No price was too high for anyone else to pay for your happiness."
Donnelly acknowledged the points raised by the defense, including that Kelly lived a very difficult childhood, with sexual abuse at the hands of her sister and a landlord.
However, he added: "You are a person who had great advantages: world fame and celebrity, untold money."
Kelly refused to go to court himself. His attorney cited pending cases: a second federal trial in Illinois, scheduled to begin Aug. 15, and separate criminal charges in Minnesota.
Last year, Kelly was convicted on charges including sexual exploitation of a child, extortion, extortion, and sex trafficking.
The jury found that the government proved Kelly was at the head of a criminal conspiracy to recruit and coerce girls, boys and women into sexual relations.
During the week-long trial, several victims established a pattern in which they would see Kelly at a show or in public and a Kelly aide would give them a phone number to call.