R.Kelly’s Appeal To Overturn 20-Year Sex Crime Sentence Rejected, Lawyer Says 'Our Fight Is Far From Over'
Disgraced R&B musician R. Kelly attempted to appeal his 20-year sentence on child pornography and enticement charges.
Kelly, 57, argued that his charges fell outside of the statute of limitations. However, things didn't go the way he planned.
On Friday, a three-judge panel at a Chicago-based federal appeals court ruled that the "Statute says otherwise, so we confirm his conviction," per Forbes. The statute in question refers to the statute of limitations for sex crimes against children, which is grounds for life-long prosecution.
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Last February, the singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted on six counts of child pornography and enticement for forcing minors into sex. Per the media outlet, the singer was previously acquitted on seven counts of possession of child pornography.
Despite his recent appeal being rejected, the Chicago native's attorney remains optimistic. "We are disappointed in the ruling but our fight is far from over," they said in a statement obtained by Forbes.
Since 2002, R. Kelly's legal troubles continued to grow. In 2021, the multi-platinum selling artist was convicted on eight counts including racketeering and trafficking women across state lines.
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The counts — which include a violation of the Mann Act, which felonizes the use of interstate or foreign commerce to transport women for immoral purposes — led to the courts sentencing him to 30 years in prison in 2022.
According to a Chicago judge, 19 of the aforementioned 20-year sentence in Chicago can be served concurrently with his 30-year sentence, bringing the "Ignition" singer's total prison time to 31 years.
Accusations of sexual misconduct and trafficking have brought the success of the chart-topping artist to ruin. Tiffany Hawkins was the first woman to come forward about his sexual misconduct after he had sex with her as a minor. He settled for $250,000. His ex-wife, Andrea Kelly, also detailed his physical and mental abuse towards her in April.
His Chicago trial is in relation to allegations made against him back in the 1990's by five victims who alleged he abused them while they were minors.
In 2002, Kelly was charged with 21 counts of child pornography, to which he pleaded "not guilty," and was later acquitted.
