Actor and musician Kaalan Walker has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for multiple charges of rape.
The 27-year-old was charged and convicted in April on three counts of forcible rape, two counts of statutory rape, and two counts of rape by intoxication.
Best known for his appearance in SuperFly, Walker also starred alongside Halle Berry and Daniel Craig in the 2017 film Kings. He's also known under his rap moniker, KR.
Walker was originally arrested in 2018 and held on $1 million bail. He was released shortly after meeting the fee. According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney, the rapper lured victims via social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter, promising to help jumpstart their modelling careers.
The initial arrest report reads: "On September 11, 2018, detectives arrested Kaalan R. Walker for a series of sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles County, dating back to 2016. In each of the cases, aspiring models were contact by Walker via social media with the premise of being hired to work professionally. While alone, each of the victims reported that Walker sexually assaulted them."
During opening statements, Deputy District Attorney Yasmin Fardghassemi told the jury that over 30 women came forward with allegations against Walker.
"He’s a con artist," she said via Rolling Stone. "A predator who used his limited industry success to bait and trap these young girls, lure them to locations where they were alone, where he was in control, where they were vulnerable."
When given the chance to testify, one of Walker's victims, model Sydney Stanford said: “This has been a long time coming for all of us, and I just hope that us seeing this case through will empower other women to speak up and do the same."
Even after sentencing, Walker's attorney said that the musician "maintains his innocence," then accused Walker's victims of lying "because they know that they fell for his BS."
A judge and jury saw otherwise, and now Walker will spend half a century behind bars. As accuser Tiara Kelly previously told Hollywood Unlocked: “No one’s making false allegations against this man. He’s nobody.”