NEW YORK (AP) — R. Kelly is no longer on suicide watch at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following the jailed R&B singer’s sentencing in a federal sex abuse case, prosecutors said in court papers filed on Tuesday.
The filing came in response to a claim last week by Kelly’s attorneys that the 55-year-old Kelly was placed on suicide watch as a form of punishment last week after a judge sentenced him to 30 years behind bars for using his fame to sexually exploit women and girls.
Initially, prosecutors said the measure was needed for Kelly’s “own safety” following a psychological examination.
They reversed themselves on Tuesday, saying prison officials took him off suicide watch based on a follow-up “clinical assessment.”
The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling songwriter was found guilty last year of racketeering and sex trafficking. He has denied wrongdoing and plans to appeal his conviction.
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