R. Kelly has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. The verdict is still a success for the ex-pop star.
Former music star R. Kelly (56) has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Chicago court. This was unanimously reported by several US media. However, the verdict represents a legal success for Kelly. Because the 56-year-old will only spend an additional year behind bars. The remaining 19 years will count toward the 30-year sentence Kelly was sentenced to in New York in June 2022.
R. Kelly will spend 31 years behind bars
Judge Harry Leinenweber ruled largely against the prosecutor’s request that Kelly serve both sentences consecutively and not mostly simultaneously. “The only way to ensure that [Kelly] will not reoffend, a sentence must be imposed that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life,” prosecutor Jeannice Williams Appenteng explained in the courtroom before the sentencing. Kelly also showed no remorse for his actions in the trial Defense argued that the ex-pop star “is likely to die in prison either way.”
In the Chicago trial last September, Kelly was found guilty of preparing child pornography and having sex with minors, including his goddaughter, who was 14 at the time. He was also convicted in the previous trial in New York in connection with allegations that he allegedly exploited and abused minors. The New York City Attorney’s Office: “Put simply, the defendant’s crimes were calculated, methodical and part of a longstanding pattern of using his megastar platform and deep network to gain access to teenagers, many of whom were particularly vulnerable, and then exploiting it for personal gain and sexual gratification”.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
