A Chicago judge sentenced R. Kelly to 20 years in prison on Thursday for child pornography and soliciting a minor, but the former singer will serve most of it at the same time as a previous 30-year sentence.
R. Kelly, 56, is already serving a 30-year sentence after a Brooklyn jury found him guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking in a separate federal trial.
Judge Harry D. Leinenweber has now ruled that 19 years in prison will be served concurrently with the previous sentence (30 years), with the exception of one year.
Kelly spending up to 31 years behind bars is a victory for the defense, which argued that “a simultaneous sentence is what justice demands,” and accused the prosecution of “wanting to make sure Kelly never sees the light of day.” . “
Former R&B singer Jennifer Bonjean’s lawyer said the two convictions will be appealed.
Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known as R. Kelly, was convicted in September 2022 of three counts of child pornography and three counts of caring for a minor.
The former singer, known for hits like “I Believe I Can Fly,” was acquitted by a federal grand jury on seven other counts, including obstruction of justice in an earlier trial.
In 2021, Kelly was convicted in New York of systematically recruiting teens and women for sexual relations. A ruling widely seen as a milestone for the #MeToo movement, as it was the first major sexual assault lawsuit in which the majority of victims were black women.
It was also the first time Kelly faced criminal charges for his decades-long abuse of women and children.
Source: DN
