R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years today (June 29) following his conviction last year on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges. According to CNN, Kelly's abuse survivors held hands and prayed as US District Court Judge Ann Donnelly began reading his sentence.

"You left in your wake a trail of broken lives," Donnelly told Kelly.

The judge said she took into account the singer's past childhood abuse, including by a family member and a landlord, according to Kelly's lawyers. "It may explain, at least in part, what led to your behavior," the judge said. "It most surely is not an excuse."

Accusations against Kelly have been well documented, including in the chilling 2019 documentary Surviving R. Kelly, directed by filmmaker and music writer dream hampton.

Kelly still faces a federal trial in Chicago in August on child pornography and obstruction charges.