YouTube said it has removed R&B singer R. Kelly’s channels from its video platform, distancing itself from the singer who was convicted of sex trafficking last month.
R. Kelly was convicted by a federal jury in September in his sex trafficking trial, where prosecutors accused the singer of exploiting his stardom over a quarter-century to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex.
YouTube, the world’s largest video site and a highly influential platform in the music industry, feared that Kelly’s actions could damage trust among the company’s users and creators, according to a spokesperson.
New York jury found Kelly guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering, including sexually exploiting children. He faces a minimum of 10 years in jail.
Kelly was one of the most commercially successful artists of the 1990s and 2000s, with hits such as “Ignition” and “I Believe I Can Fly”. He has sold more than 40m albums.