R. Kelly, the R&B singer, has been sentenced after being found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges following a federal trial in New York in September last year.

During the trial, the jury heard about Kelly’s marriage to late singer Aaliyah and accusations of sexual abuse, pregnancy, and a fraudulent marriage license.

The singer, whose full name is Robert Kelly, was branded a “predator” who used his fame to “prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification.”

Kelly met Aaliyah through her uncle Barry Hankerson, who was Kelly’s manager at the time.

Hankerson brought a 12-year-old Aaliyah into the studio to sing for Kelly, and the pair began spending time together as Kelly produced the singer’s debut album, which he titled “Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number.”

Kelly was accused of bribing a government employee to overlook Aaliyah’s age so the pair could wed in 1994 – when Aaliyah was just 15 years old.

A victim, under the pseudonym Jane Doe five, claimed during the trial that Kelly obtained the marriage license so Aaliyah could get an abortion with his legal consent.

The claims that Aaliyah fell pregnant with Kelly’s child at 15 emerged in a 2011 book titled “The Man Behind the Man: Looking from the Inside out” written by Demetrius Smith Sr, a former member of Kelly’s team, who claimed Kelly “wanted to burst out in tears” upon his suspicions Aaliyah was with child.

The book also contained a quote from Kelly, saying, “‘I think she’s pregnant’ he said, in a voice that sounded as if he wanted to burst out in tears. ‘Oh man, Rob’ was all I could say at the time.”

Timbaland, a music producer, reportedly shared a tribute to Aaliyah on Instagram in 2016, leading many to question if her pregnancy was widely known within the industry.

During the trial, it was claimed that Kelly bribed an Illinois government employee on 30 August 1994, so he could obtain a fake ID for the late singer, who died in 2001.

The fake ID claimed her age was 18 and was used to obtain a marriage license so a then 27-year-old Kelly could wed the singer, named as Jane Doe one in the federal indictments.

In December 1994’s issue of Vibe magazine, the marriage license between Kelly and Aaliyah was printed, listing the rapper’s age as 27 and his so-called protégée’s age as 18, when she was 15 at the time.

The license application date was recorded as 30 August 1994, a day after Kelly allegedly paid the bribe.

Months later, the marriage was annulled, and both Kelly and Aaliyah denied it ever took place.

Following the annulment, Aaliyah refused to speak about what had happened, and her spokesperson said, “When R. Kelly comes up, she doesn’t even speak his name, and nobody’s allowed to ask about it at all.”

A former backup performer for Kelly, identified as Angela, testified during the trial how they saw Kelly engaging in a sex act with Aaliyah when she was around 13 or 14 in 1993.

Angela claimed she was performing with Kelly on tour when she went into his tour bus to visit the singer.

As Angela began to open the door, she claimed she saw Kelly and Aaliyah in a “sexual situation.”

Kelly’s lawyer, Steven Greenberg, said during an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America that his client had “no idea” Aaliyah was 15 when they married.

“My understanding is that she did not claim to be 15, and in order to get married, she had to lie about her age.”

However, during the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Kelly bribed an official to create a fake ID for Aaliyah that stated she was 18 years old.

The marriage between Kelly and Aaliyah was a secret, and they denied it ever happened, even after it was revealed in Vibe magazine.

Aaliyah was uncomfortable discussing the matter and refused to speak about it.

In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, she said, “I don’t really comment on that because I know that’s not true. When people ask me, I tell them, ‘Hey, don’t believe all that mess.’ We’re close, and people took it the wrong way.”

During the trial, it was revealed that the marriage between Kelly and Aaliyah was not a happy one.

Their relationship soon turned sour, with accusations of sexual abuse, pregnancy, and a fraudulent marriage license so Aaliyah could have an abortion.

According to Demetrius Smith Sr’s book, Kelly suspected that Aaliyah was pregnant with his child when she was just 15 years old, and he arranged for her to have an abortion.

Smith wrote, “Derrel McDavid arranged for a car to pick Aaliyah up at O’Hare airport, and she had a hotel room available on arrival. This was crazy! How were we going to get through this without causing ill feelings with Barry Hankerson?”

The allegations made during the trial regarding Kelly’s marriage to Aaliyah have caused outrage and renewed calls for justice for the victims of his sexual abuse.

Some have criticized the music industry for turning a blind eye to Kelly’s behavior and allowing him to continue his career despite numerous allegations of sexual misconduct.

The #MuteRKelly movement, which began in 2018, called for the boycott of Kelly’s music and concerts, and some radio stations and streaming services removed his music from their platforms.

Kelly’s trial has shone a spotlight on the issue of sexual abuse in the music industry, with many calling for greater accountability and protections for artists, particularly young and vulnerable ones.

In a statement, Aaliyah’s family said they hoped Kelly’s conviction would bring them closure and that it would be a step towards justice for all of his victims.

“We are hopeful that this verdict will encourage more victims to come forward, and that it will serve as a warning to those who would abuse their power and prey on the vulnerable,” they said.