R. Kelly’s 20-Year Sentence Upheld as Appeals Court Denies Request for Release

R. Kelly, the disgraced R&B singer, turned himself in at the 1st District Chicago police headquarters on February 22, 2019. This came after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his sex crimes, following a trial in Chicago in 2022.

The jury convicted Kelly on six of the 13 charges related to sexual abuse during the 1990s, including coercing minors into sexual activity and producing sex tapes involving a minor. This added to his previous 30-year sentence from a racketeering trial in New York.

Despite Kelly’s legal team filing an appeal, a judge recently affirmed the decision for him to remain behind bars. Judge Amy St. Eve stated, “For years, Robert Sylvester Kelly abused underage girls. By employing a complex scheme to keep victims quiet, he long evaded consequences. In recent years, though, those crimes caught up with him at last.”

While this is a victory for the survivors in the Chicago trial, Kelly has filed an appeal to overturn his New York conviction or get a new trial. His lawyer argued that the charge of racketeering was not sufficient for a conviction. The judges have yet to make a ruling on the appeal.

The saga of R. Kelly continues as he faces the consequences of his actions and fights to overturn his convictions.