R. Kelly’s convictions for racketeering and sex trafficking, as well as his 30-year prison sentence, were upheld Wednesday by a federal appeals court. The court found that the singer used his fame for over 25 years to sexually exploit girls and young women.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued its ruling after hearing arguments last March.
Kelly, 58, was convicted in 2021 in Brooklyn federal court on multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said she believes the Supreme Court will agree to hear an appeal. She called the 2nd Circuit’s decision “unprecedented,” arguing that it allows prosecutors to stretch the racketeering law beyond its intended purpose.
Last year, the Supreme Court declined to review Kelly’s 20-year sentence from his 2022 conviction in Chicago for producing child sexual abuse images and enticing minors for sex. The 2nd Circuit rejected Kelly’s claims that his trial was unfair, ruling that the evidence against him was sufficient. The court also dismissed concerns about biased jurors, improper rulings by the trial judge, and the use of a racketeering charge, which is more commonly applied in organized crime cases.
The appeals court found that Kelly was enabled by a network of managers, assistants, and staff who helped him lure and control his victims. Testimony at trial revealed that he isolated young girls from their families, dictated nearly every aspect of their lives, and subjected them to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse.
The court ruled it was appropriate to allow testimony from multiple women who said Kelly knowingly gave them herpes without disclosing his infection. It also upheld the decision to let seven witnesses, who were minors when Kelly began abusing them, testify.
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The judges determined that none of the testimony was more inflammatory than the actual charges and that allowing jurors to view graphic videos was necessary to illustrate Kelly’s methods of control and abuse. The court also upheld a restitution order requiring Kelly to cover the cost of a victim’s lifetime supply of herpes medication, though one judge, Richard J. Sullivan, dissented on that particular point. Bonjean criticized the restitution ruling, claiming it was an attempt to “unfairly enrich government witnesses.”
Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was once one of the biggest names in R&B, known for hits like “I Believe I Can Fly” and his multipart series “Trapped in the Closet.” Despite decades of rumors and allegations, he continued selling millions of albums and performing to sold-out crowds. He was acquitted of child sexual abuse image charges in 2008, but his 2022 Chicago trial resulted in convictions for producing explicit images of minors and enticing underage girls for sex.
Public outrage over Kelly’s behavior escalated during the #MeToo era, culminating in the release of the documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which exposed years of abuse allegations. With the appeals court’s ruling, Kelly remains incarcerated, serving a 30-year sentence with little hope of an early release.
READ ALSO: Supreme Court rejects to hear R. Kelly’s appeal in child sex crimes conviction
