R. Kelly’s prison sentence has been extended.
Videos by American Songwriter
On Thursday (Feb. 23), one year was added to the rapper’s federal prison time for making child pornography with three victims, a verdict that was handed down at a hearing in Illinois in September 2022, according to NPR. The one-year sentence is in addition to the 30 years he’s serving from his federal sentencing in New York in 2021 where he was found guilty on all counts of sex trafficking and racketeering allegations. According to CNN, Kelly was also sentenced to 20 years in prison in a federal courtroom in his hometown of Chicago, with 19 of the 20 years to be severed concurrently with the 30 years he’s already serving. The final year will be served after the 30-year sentence is complete.
A 37-year-old woman by the pseudonym “Jane” spoke out in court during the trials testifying that Kelly engaged in repeated sexual acts with her when she was 14. She had her attorney read a statement on her behalf during the February 23 court case. “Robert shattered me,” she wrote. “I need closure. And I need Robert in jail for as long as the law will allow.”
“Robert Kelly is a serial sexual predator who, over the course of many years, specifically targeted young girls and went to great lengths to conceal his abuse of Jane and other minor victims,” prosecutors said (quote via CNN). “To this day, and even following the jury verdict against him, Kelly refuses to accept responsibility for his crimes.”
A statement from Kelly’s attorney team, which is fronted by Jennifer Bonjean who represented comedian and actor Bill Cosby during his sexual assault cases, asserts that Kelly, 56, may not make it through his full sentence.
“In the unlikely event that Kelly was to survive his 30-year sentence, there is no reason to believe he would reoffend as a geriatric in his mid-80s,” they said in a statement. “The overwhelming majority of Kelly’s criminal conduct was committed a quarter century ago.”
Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images
