The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld R. Kelly’s 20-year prison sentence for federal sex crimes in Chicago.
The ruling comes after Kelly’s legal team contested the validity of his indictment on child enticement and child pornography charges, arguing that they were filed after the statute of limitations expired.
Judge Amy St. Eve, delivering a unanimous ruling, dismissed Kelly’s defense, stating: “For years, Robert Sylvester Kelly abused underage girls… An even-handed jury found Kelly guilty, acquitting him on several charges even after viewing those abhorrent tapes. No statute of limitations saves him, and the resulting sentence was procedurally proper and—especially under these appalling circumstances—substantively fair.”
Kelly, convicted of six counts of child pornography and child enticement by a Chicago federal jury in September 2022, faced accusations of sexually abusing minors, including his then 14-year-old goddaughter.
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Despite being acquitted of seven other charges, Kelly was sentenced to 20 years behind bars in February 2023.
This ruling follows Kelly’s prior conviction in 2021 by a federal jury in New York for child sex crimes and racketeering, resulting in a 30-year prison sentence.
While serving these sentences concurrently, Kelly is currently appealing his New York conviction.
The decision coincides with the overturning of disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction in New York this week.
Weinstein, previously found guilty in February 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison, faces additional charges in Los Angeles. Despite the New York decision, his sentence in California remains unaffected.
