R Kelly’s challenge to a 20-year prison sentence for child sex convictions has been overturned by an appeal court.
The singer was rightly sentenced to 20 years in prison, a Chicago court ruled Friday.
He was convicted in 2022 of three counts of producing child sexual abuse images and three counts of sexual enticement of minors.
In his appeal, Kelly57, argued that Illinois’ old statute of limitations — which required prosecution of child sex crime charges within 10 years — should have applied, rather than the current law allowing for accusations while an accuser is still alive.
The appeals court rejected the decision, calling it an attempt by Kelly to completely evade charges after “using an elaborate ploy to keep victims silent.”
He also argued that charges involving one accuser should have been tried separately from charges related to three other accusers because of the video evidence that became a focal point of the Chicago trial.
Prosecutors said the video showed Kelly abusing a girl. The accuser, identified only as Jane, first testified that she was 14 when the video was taken.
The three-judge appeals court panel noted that jurors acquitted Kelly of seven of the 13 charges against him “even after viewing these heinous tapes.”
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In a written statement, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said she plans to seek review of the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court and “pursue all of her appeals until we free R Kelly.
“We are disappointed by this ruling, but our fight is far from over,” she said.
Sky news