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YouTube removes R. Kelly's channels following sex trafficking conviction

R. Kelly
Posted at 2:28 PM, Oct 06, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-06 16:28:22-04

Convicted sex trafficker R. Kelly no longer has his official channels on YouTube.

RKellyTV and RKellyVevo, which both had more than a million subscribers, were removed for violating YouTube’s terms of service.

“Egregious actions committed by R. Kelly warrant penalties beyond standard enforcement measures due to a potential to cause widespread harm,” YouTube VP of legal Nicole Alston wrote in a memo, which was reviewed by Bloomberg. “Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users similar to other platforms.”

Kelly's music isn't banned from YouTube altogether. It can still be heard on YouTube Music.

In September, Kelly was found guilty on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating of an anti-sex trafficking law called the Mann Act.

Kelly is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2022.