YouTube has permanently suspended two channels of R&B singer R. Kelly, after he was found guilty of sex trafficking and racketeering last week.
The two channels that YouTube suspended are titled RKellyTV, which had 3.5 million subscribers, and RKellyVevo, which had approximately 1.6 million subscribers.
R. Kelly will not be allowed to use, own or create any new channels from here on out.
YouTube VP of legal Nicole Alston wrote in a memo (reports Bloomberg): "Egregious actions committed by R. Kelly warrant penalties beyond standard enforcement measures due to a potential to cause widespread harm.
"Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users similar to other platforms."
It was cited that the channels were in violation of the terms of their service.
If one attempts to watch videos of the now deleted channels, a message pops up reading: "This video is no longer available because the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated."
At the same time, the internet video platform has not put a ban on R. Kelly's music. The singer's catalogue will still be available on YouTube music.
On September 27th, Kelly was found guilty in New York federal court of leading a scheme to recruit women and girls for sex, following decades of women coming forward to accuse him of sex crimes.
He is is set to be sentenced May 4, 2022, and faces ten years to life in prison.
