YouTube removes official channels of R. Kelly, convicted of sex crimes

The video-sharing platform YouTube has removed the official channels of American singer R. Kelly, who was convicted of sex crimes in late September.

 

We can confirm that we have removed two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our rules on creator responsibility, a YouTube spokesperson told AFP on Wednesday. The catalog of the fallen R&B star remains accessible on the audio streaming service YouTube Music, where the artist has 137,000 subscribers.

 

The platform, a subsidiary of Google, said to authorize the content uploaded before the removal of the two official channels of R. Kelly. In the same vein, it does not intend to remove the clips of the singer shared by third party users. His albums and tracks are also still available on other major audio streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify or Amazon Music.

 

Contacted by the AFP, these three companies did not answer immediately. R. Kelly, 54, was found guilty by a New York court of having directed for years a system of sexual exploitation of young people, including minors. His prison sentence will be handed down on May 4, 2022. He is currently on remand and faces life in prison.