The American court has upheld the decision on the 20-year sentence of the artist R Kelly, who was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors. The singer appealed the decision, but the Federal Court of Appeal concluded that he had received the correct and deserved sentence.
In 2022, the artist and Grammy Award winner, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was charged with 3 counts of rape and use of images of sexual abuse of minors, as well as charges of luring minors for sexual purposes .
His lawyers appealed the decision and argued that the charges should have been tried separately and not connected to the three accusers who had photos and videos that became key elements of his trial. Federal prosecutors have a video showing Kelly abusing a girl, who, for the sake of privacy, goes by the nickname "Jane." She was 14 years old when the video was recorded.
The jury rejected Kelly's claims that he should not be prosecuted because the charges against him were made after the "expiration of the statute of limitations" under Illinois law, in which a prosecution for such a charge can be brought within 10 years. The panel of judges described Kelly's attempt as a complex scheme to keep his victims silent.
While Kelly's lawyers seem not to give up. Attorney Jennifer Bonjean said they plan to seek review of the decision in the US Supreme Court and "pursue all avenues of appeal until they free R Kelly." We are disappointed by this decision, but our fight is not over," she said.
