R Kelly loses appeal to overturn 20-year sentence for child sex abuse

R Kelly’s bid to challenge his 20-year prison sentence for child sex convictions has hit a roadblock as an appeal court upheld the ruling on Friday, April 26, 2024.

The Chicago court ruled that the singer was rightfully sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted in 2022 on charges of producing child sexual abuse images and enticing minors for sex.

In his appeal, Kelly, 57, argued that Illinois’ old statute of limitations, which required prosecution of child sex crime charges within 10 years, should have been applied instead of the current law allowing charges while an accuser is alive. However, the appeals court rejected this argument, labelling it as an attempt by Kelly to evade charges by using a scheme to silence victims.

Kelly also contended that charges involving one accuser should have been tried separately from charges tied to three other accusers due to video evidence. Prosecutors presented a video showing Kelly abusing a girl, identified only as Jane, who testified for the first time that she was 14 when the video was recorded.

However, despite these arguments, the appeals court upheld the 20-year sentence, noting that jurors had acquitted Kelly on seven of the 13 counts against him, even after viewing the disturbing tapes.

In response to the ruling, Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean expressed disappointment but vowed to continue the legal battle.

Bonjean stated that they plan to seek a review from the US Supreme Court and will exhaust all appellate remedies to secure Kelly’s freedom.

“We are disappointed in the ruling, but our fight is far from over,” Bonjean said in a written statement.

As the legal saga continues, the case has brought renewed attention to issues of child sexual abuse and the justice system’s handling of such cases.