YouTube Deletes R. Kelly Videos Following Sex Crimes Conviction

R. Kelly‘s official YouTube channels have been removed from the platform following him being convicted on all counts of racketeering and sex trafficking last month.

A rep from YouTube confirmed to XXL on Wednesday (Oct. 6) via a statement, which said, “We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines.”

Per the platform’s guidelines, if someone who owns a channel on YouTube is accused of an egregious crime, the channel may be terminated if the content is related to the crime and the owner of the channel has been convicted or found to be guilty. And pertaining to R. Kelly, the R&B singer was found guilty on all counts that he was facing—eight counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering.

YouTube additionally notes that Kelly poses widespread harm to the platform’s community as well as damages the trust between creators and users of the site.

R. Kelly is also prohibited from using, owning or creating any other YouTube channels.

The Chicago native, who was found guilty in a Brooklyn courtroom on Sept. 24, faces between 10 years and life in prison. His next court date is set for May 4, 2022.

Kelly has additional sex-related cases in Illinois and Minnesota.

The crooner, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, who has maintained his innocence, was arrested back in 2019 and accused of organizing a criminal operation where he recruited underage girls and women and inflicted vile treatment on them, based on witness testimony.

R. Kelly‘s specific charges include bribery, kidnapping, forced labor, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual trafficking across state lines and racketeering involving six victims, all of which allegedly took place over a nearly 30-year time span.