crime
R. Kelly failed on appeal
A court in Chicago has reaffirmed a 2022 verdict against US singer R. Kelly. photo
© Antonio Perez/TNS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
Former star musician R. Kelly is serving two prison sentences after convictions in New York and Chicago for sexual offenses. He has now failed in an appeal in one case.
The US singer R. Kelly (57), who was sentenced to two long prison sentences for sexual abuse, is with one Appeal failed in Chicago court. The responsible appeals court confirmed an earlier verdict from 2022 against the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer, as US media reported.
A jury in Chicago found Kelly guilty of having sex with minors and making child pornography. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in this case. The judge determined that Kelly could serve most of his prison sentences concurrently. A few months earlier, the singer was sentenced to 30 years in prison in New York for, among other things, sexual abuse of minors.
Kelly’s appeal in Chicago centered, among other things, on the length of the sentence. His lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said her fight against the verdict is not over yet, according to TMZ.com. An appeal is also underway in New York. In March, the musician’s lawyers argued at a hearing there that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence and that he had not received a fair trial. The singer received 30 years in prison in New York in 2022 after a jury found him guilty on nine counts – including sexual exploitation of minors, kidnapping and bribery.
The musician, born Robert Sylvester Kelly in Chicago, was once one of the most successful musicians of his generation, with more than 50 million albums sold and various important awards. However, there have been allegations of sexual abuse against him since the 1990s. When the sensational documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” summarized the allegations in 2019, the singer became increasingly lonely. Stars distanced themselves from him, as did radio stations, streaming services and his music label. He was arrested and charged in the summer of 2019.