R. Kelly Receives One-Year Sentence in Illinois Sex Abuse Case

HomeNewsR. Kelly Receives One-Year Sentence in Illinois Sex Abuse Case

The singer, who is already serving a sentence of 30 years in prison, was convicted of six counts of sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor last year.

CHICAGO — A federal judge in Illinois sentenced disgraced musician R. Kelly to an additional year in prison on Thursday, nearly five months after he was convicted of sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor.

In 2021, a New York jury found Kelly, age 56, guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.

Kelly, whose legal name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted of six counts of sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor in a case stemming from women’s allegations that he lured them into sex acts when they were minors.

Thursday, federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber of the Northern District of Illinois to impose a 25-year prison term on Kelly, stating that he was guilty of conspiracy to commit bank fraud ” a threat to society” whose “sexual abuse of minors was deliberate and widespread.” Jennifer Bonjean, Kelly’s attorney, requested a sentence of approximately ten years to be served concurrently with the New York sentence.

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The total sentence also includes 19 years to be served concurrently with the sentence imposed in New York.

Leinenweber opined that “sentencing should be sufficient, but not excessive,” and he added: “Everyone agrees that the nature of this crime is heinous and heinous.”

Leinenweber stated, “No matter what I do, Mr. Kelly will not leave his position in the next ten or twenty years.” “One thing we should keep in mind is that he is 56 years old, and as Ms. Bonjean points out, he does not have a very long life expectancy.”

In court documents filed before Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors argued that a life sentence for Kelly was “the only way to ensure Kelly will not re-offend.”

However, Bonjean stated that he was already serving what amounted to a life sentence.

She stated in a court filing last week that Kelly would have to defy all statistical odds to survive prison.

Thursday, Kelly appeared in court wearing an orange jumpsuit, black glasses, and a left leg brace. On the advice of his attorney, he declined to testify in court.

However, he nodded multiple times toward his family and supporters who filled the courtroom. After the hearing, a supporter yelled “I’m here for you” to Kelly, prompting others to yell “We love you” and “We’ve got you.”

Before being taken away, he waved and nodded at them.

Kelly was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual conduct, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and conspiracy to receive child pornography in his Illinois trial. He was exonerated on seven counts, including all conspiracy-related charges.

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Two co-defendants, his former business manager Derrel McDavid and his associate Milton “June” Brown, were tried alongside him and found not guilty of all charges.

Prosecutors centered their case on a star witness identified as Jane in court who identified herself as the person in a 26-minute videotape sent anonymously to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2002 that allegedly showed Kelly performing sex acts with a minor.

Jane, now 38 years old, testified emotionally that Kelly began having sexual relations with her when she was 15 and he was in his 30s and that he continued to do so “hundreds” of times before she turned 18.

Several additional alleged victims testified that Kelly manipulated them into sexual relationships with minors, some of which were recorded.

Jane’s attorney, Christopher Brown, read her victim impact statement aloud in court before the imposition of her sentence.

“I’ve lost my dignity because of Robert Kelly.” “stated the statement. “I no longer have any dreams because of R. Kelly. I have lost my adolescence because of Robert Kelly.”

She requested Kelly be “placed in prison for the remainder of his natural life.”

In her victim impact statement, a woman identified only by her pseudonym Nia stated that Kelly “completely damaged” her.

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“She said through tears, “The emotional pain stayed with me until the day I testified against you in court.” “You will no longer be able to harm other children. You will no longer be able to go to the mall to pick up a child for the evening.”

Pauline, the third woman to deliver a victim impact statement, stated that after Kelly’s abuse, she required years of therapy.

“I have had suicidal ideas in my mind. I have had disturbing thoughts that no one loves me “Pauline, whose name is also a pseudonym, commented. “I’ve kept this secret for many years. I’ve lost so much because of this.”

Last month, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx dismissed ten state sex abuse charges against Kelly, stating that “justice has been served” with the two federal convictions.

She added that “limited resources and court time” were the deciding factors, noting that her office found the allegations to be credible.

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