Kelly was sentenced in February 2023, but lawyers argued that the statute of limitations had passed when the singer was charged, a claim the Chicago court rejected on Friday.
“For years, Robert Sylvester Kelly abused underage girls. By resorting to a complex scheme to keep his victims silent, he long avoided the consequences,” Judge Amy St. Eve wrote in her ruling.
“These crimes have finally caught up with him. But Kelly – asserting a statute of limitations defense – believes he delayed the charges long enough to avoid them completely. The statute says otherwise, so we affirm the conviction.”
Kelly, 57, is already serving a 30-year sentence for a racketeering and sex trafficking conviction determined by a Brooklyn court jury in a separate federal trial. The two sentences will be served simultaneously, which totals 31 years in prison.
Lawyer Jennifer Bonjean said R. Kelly will appeal to the Supreme Court.
The artist was convicted by a New York court in September 2022 on six of the 13 charges presented: three for producing child pornography and three for enticing minors.
The federal conviction in Chicago came a year later and was considered a landmark by the MeToo movement: it was the first major sexual abuse trial in which the majority of accusers were black women.
It was also the first time that R. Kelly faced criminal consequences for the abuse he allegedly inflicted on women and minors for decades.
Born in Chicago, the artist rose to fame in the 1990s with hits like “I Believe I Can Fly” and became one of R&B’s biggest stars.
Tags: Court confirms singer Kellys conviction child pornography Showbiz
