R. Kelly's Sentencing Date Revealed

The R. Kelly saga is not quite over. Though the disgraced R&B singer has been found guilty in his criminal racketeering and sex trafficking trial in Brooklyn, New York, he still has to be sentenced. Kelly was accused and convicted of orchestrating a sex trafficking ring with teenage girls, boys, and young women that began as early as the 1990s. Though Kelly's team pleaded not guilty, prosecutors were able to convince a jury that Kelly is a serial predator and sexual, physical, and emotional abuser of vulnerable men and women.

Kelly currently faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison as a result of the recent guilty verdict. His legal team has already vowed to appeal the conviction. His team has some time to prepare as he won't be sentenced until May 4, 2022. According to Erinn Robinson, press secretary for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, Kelly's verdict "sends a loud message to survivors of sexual violence," per a statement to USA TODAY. "Today's verdict was made possible by their courage and persistence in being heard, and we thank them for their resilience during a difficult and very public process."

But Kelly's legal battles continue. He faces similar charges in at least three other states: Missouri, Georgia, and his hometown of Illinois. Prosecutors say Kelly has victims in nearly every state. Some of the same accusers who testified in the Brooklyn case are expected to testify in the other trials as many of the cases overlap in time and place. 

Michael Irving Leonard, one of Kelly's legal advisors, is disappointed by the Brooklyn outcome. "I was optimistic that on the main charges, the racketeering charges, he would be found not guilty," Leonard said, as reported by USA TODAY. "The nature of a (Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Organization) RICO case typically fits that of Mafia or drug kingpins directing their underlings to do various (illegal) things and this is a far different scenario. I didn't think the jury would believe that (Kelly) and the band were a 'criminal enterprise.'"

YouTube has since removed Kelly's official artist page in light of his conviction. Kelly's songs however remain available on the streaming service.