R. Kelly still on suicide watch ‘for his own safety,’ feds say – National

Federal authorities are pushing back against R. Kelly’s claims that he was deemed suicide as a form of punishment last week after a judge sentenced him to 30 years behind bars for his own good. used his reputation to sexually abuse young girls.

The United States Attorney’s office in Brooklyn filed court papers late Saturday saying the disgraced R&B superstar was still watching suicide “for his own safety” after a mental health assessment. physical.

“Kelly’s current life circumstances certainly bring a sense of emotional distress,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Speight wrote in the court filing.

“He was a convicted sex offender who was sentenced to prison for the next three decades,” she added. “In the immediate future, he faces another federal criminal trial in Chicago for child pornography-related charges.”

Kelly’s attorney filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that prison officials placed him on suicide watch at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn “for punitive purposes only and because of his status as a criminal.” a senior inmate,” adding that Kelly had no intention of harming herself.

Attorney Jennifer Bonjean wrote in the lawsuit: “Nothing happened during sentencing that surprised Mr. Kelly. “While the conditions of suicide monitoring may be appropriate for individuals who are truly at risk of self-harm, they are cruel and unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment to individuals who are in danger of harming themselves. individuals do not commit suicide”.

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R. Kelly refuses to testify when his sex trafficking trial is over

Kelly, 55, made no statement and did not respond when he heard his sentence, which also included a $100,000 fine.

Last year, the Grammy-winning, platinum-selling musician was found guilty of fraud and sex trafficking. He has denied wrongdoing and he plans to appeal his conviction.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has come under close scrutiny since financier Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide behind bars in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing 14-year-old girls and young women in New York. and Florida in the early 2000s.