R Kelly ordered to pay sex abuse victim $300,000 in damages

Convicted R&B singer R Kelly has been ordered to pay over $300,000 (£276,000) to one of his victims, to cover the cost of herpes treatment and psychotherapy for the abuse inflicted on her.

The victim, who remains anonymous, accused Kelly of giving her the sexually transmitted disease during one of their encounters.

However, the restitution order by District Judge Ann Connelly is still being finalised.

Kelly could be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars more to pay for herpes treatment and counselling for a second victim once the final tally is calculated. The judge rejected a third claim by another accuser.

The multiplatinum-selling songwriter appeared at Wednesday’s hearing at a federal court in Brooklyn via video link from prison in Chicago and only spoke to exchange greetings with the judge and to turn down an offer to say more.

Meanwhile, none of the victims were in attendance.

The Grammy-winning R&B singer was sentenced to 30 years in prison on June 29, 2022 after being convicted of sex trafficking last year for exploiting his stardom and wealth over a quarter century to lure women and underage girls for sex.

Kelly, 55, was convicted last September in Brooklyn federal court following a 5-1/2 week trial that amplified accusations that had dogged the singer of the Grammy-winning hit “I Believe I Can Fly” since the early 2000s.

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is among the most prominent people convicted of sexual misbehavior during the #MeToo movement against such conduct by prominent men.