Disgraced singer R. Kelly has had his attempts to appeal his 20 year prison sentence quashed by an appeals court.
Jurors in 2022 convicted the R&B singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, on three charges of producing child porn, and three charges of enticement of minors for sex.
In his appeal, Kelly argued that Illinois’ former and shorter statute of limitations on child sex prosecutions should have applied to his Chicago case rather than current law permitting charges while an accuser is still alive.
The 57-year-old also argued that charges involving one accuser should have been tried separately from the charges tied to three other accusers due to video evidence that became a focal point of the Chicago trial.
In their Friday ruling, the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit of Appeals rejected Kelly’s argument that he should not have been prosecuted since the allegations occurred while Illinois law required prosecution of child sex crime charges within ten years.
The panel labeled it an attempt by Kelly to elude the charges entirely after ’employing a complex scheme to keep victims quiet.’
Video evidence shown during the trial showed Kelly abusing a girl, identified only as Jane, who testified for that she was 14 when the video was taken.
The three-judge panel noted that jurors acquitted Kelly on 7 of the 13 counts against him ‘even after viewing those abhorrent tapes.’
Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean told TMZ: ‘Our fight is not over. We will see review from the USSC (SCOTUS) on the statute of limitations questions at a minimum.
‘And he has habeas remedies at his disposal. And if we win in NY. He will be entitled to resentencing in Illinois. So this story is far from over.’
Prosecutors in his home state had sought an even tougher sentence, asking for 25 years.
They also wanted a judge to not let that sentence begin until he completed a 30-year sentence imposed in 2022 in New York on federal racketeering and sex trafficking convictions.
