A federal appeals court in Manhattan has upheld R. Kelly’s 30-year prison sentence, along with his racketeering and sex trafficking convictions.
The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, reaffirmed the 2021 conviction that found the 58-year-old singer guilty of using his fame to exploit and sexually abuse young women and underage girls.
In 2022, the singer bagged another 20-year jail term for child s3x charges, including charges of producing images of child s3xual abuse in Chicago.
Also, the three-judge panel rejected his claim that prosecutors didn’t prove he established a racketeering scheme to recruit women and underage girls for sex.
The court held: “Enabled by a constellation of managers, assistants, and his other staff for over 25-years, Kelly exploited his fame to lure ladies and young women into his grasp.
“Evidence at trial proved that he would isolate victims from friends and family, control every aspect of their lives, and abuse them physically, sexually, and verbally.”
Reacting to the Appeal Court judgement in a statement, Kelly’s legal representative, Jennifer Bonjean, said she would appeal the case at the Supreme Court.
