SINGER R. Kelly, who has been accused of sexual abuse and misconduct with minors, could face an additional 25 years in prison for child pornography and enticement convictions.
Federal prosecutors have requested this extended sentence besides the 30-year sentence that he recently began serving. This would make him ineligible for release until he is around 100 years old, if the judge approves both sentences.
In a sentencing recommendation filed yesterday, in the US District Court in Chicago, prosecutors described Kelly's behaviour as "sadistic" and referred to him as a "serial sexual predator" who poses a serious danger to society.
"The only way to ensure Kelly does not re-offend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life," the 37-page government filing says.
Kelly's sentencing in Chicago is scheduled for the following week. His lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, has argued that even with his existing 30-year New York sentence, "Kelly would have to defy all statistical odds to make it out of prison alive."
She cited data that the average life expectancy of inmates is 64 years.
Bonjean recommended a sentence of around 10 years, at the low end of the sentencing guidelines range, which she said could be served simultaneously with the New York sentence.
She also claimed that Kelly, who is Black, was singled out for behaviour that she said white rock stars have gotten away with for decades.
Prosecutors acknowledged that a 25-year sentence in the Chicago case would be more time than even sentencing guidelines recommend. However, they argued that imposing a long sentence and instructing it to be served only after the New York sentence was appropriate.
They stated that "a consecutive sentence is eminently reasonable given the egregiousness of Kelly's conduct," and that "Kelly's sexual abuse of minors was intentional and prolific."
At Kelly's federal trial in Chicago last year, jurors convicted him on six of 13 counts, but the government lost the marquee count that Kelly and his then-business manager successfully rigged his state child pornography trial in 2008.
Both of Kelly's co-defendants, including longtime business manager Derrel McDavid, were acquitted of all charges.
Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, rose from poverty in Chicago to superstardom, becoming known for the smash hit ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and sex-infused songs such as ‘Bump n' Grind’.
While the Grammy Award-winner went to trial in 2008, it wasn't until after the airing of Lifetime's 2019 docu-series, ‘Surviving R Kelly’, featuring testimonials by his accusers, that criminal investigations were kicked into high gear, leading to federal and new state charges. – The Vibes, February 18, 2023
