I can understand the concerns, considering the evidence posted in the thread is not philosophically waterproof. That said, it is my understanding that at least two other admins were online at the time of the incident, and they both expressed their opinions, which were in line with my own.
A judgement call was made. In any such call, you have to weigh the chance of letting a guilty party off without punishment versus the chance that you're punishing an innocent person. In this specific case, I feel that a ban was warranted.
That said, I will give R_Kelly the opportunity to appeal for a shorter sentence via PM, again subject to judgement. For now, I am locking this thread.
Feedback is always appreciated, and can be directed through PMs. I believe I have been reasonable.
Cheers,
Panoply