R. Kelly’s conviction and 20-year prison sentence for possession of child pornography and child enticement has been upheld by a federal appellate court in Chicago. The verdict was delivered in September, where Kelly was found guilty of six out of 13 counts of owning and producing child pornography and enticing a minor. The singer was sentenced to 20 years in prison, which will run concurrently with his 30-year sentence for racketeering and trafficking. He will serve a total of 31 years in prison and will not be eligible for release until he is 80 years old.
Kelly’s lawyers appealed the sentence arguing that Judge Harry Leinenweber handed him an excessive sentence of six years beyond federal sentencing guidelines. However, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Kelly’s argument and concluded that the sentencing was appropriate because of the nature of his crimes. The court also turned down Kelly’s argument that the charges were filed after the statute of limitations had passed.
In response, Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, stated that the fight was not over, and they would seek review from the United States Supreme Court and habeas remedies at his disposal. Kelly would also be entitled to resentencing in Illinois if he won in New York. Kelly has also appealed the New York sentence, alleging that the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries influenced the trial and suggested his guilt before the trial began.
If his appeal is successful, Kelly will still likely serve 18 years in prison for his conviction in Chicago. The final instalment of the Surviving R. Kelly docuseries aired earlier this year, covering Kelly’s 2022 federal trial. It also explored the role of people around Kelly who enabled him, either by turning a blind eye to his abuse over three decades or helping him locate his victims.
Tinashe has recently come forward to express her embarrassment about being forced to work with R. Kelly and Chris Brown by her former label, RCA. The singer insisted that she did not want to collaborate with Kelly or Brown, and she tried to block the R. Kelly song out of her memory, as it was an embarrassment to her
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