R. Kelly is sentenced to 20 years in prison for sex crimes

• R. Kelly was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for sex crimes.
• He was found guilty of 6 of 13 charges.
• Some of his victims were minors.

R&B star R. Kelly, who has been facing various sex crimes charges since 2002, was sentenced in federal court in Chicago. Prosecutors recommended a 25-year sentence and asked that it be served in addition to the time he is already spending behind bars.

Kelly has faced numerous accusations of sexual abuse. Years ago some parents sued him for allegedly recruiting their daughters into a sex cult. He has been arrested several times for a variety of crimes.

R. Kelly faced lawsuits

According to TMZ, on February 3, 2002, a video surfaced that allegedly showed R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl and urinating on her. The video, which was shared by an unknown source, was submitted to the Chicago Sun-Times and the newspaper published the story on February 8, 2002.

On July 17, 2017, Jim DeRogatis of BuzzFeed News reported that three groups of parents accused Kelly of keeping their daughters in an abusive cult. However, Kelly and the alleged victims denied the allegations.

R. Kelly is arrested but then released

On March 6, 2019, Kelly was re-incarcerated in Cook County after failing to pay $161,633 in child support. On March 9, 2019, he was released after someone, who did not want to be identified, paid what he owed. His attorney says he was unable to discuss the payment.

In September 2021, a New York jury convicted the 55-year-old musician of one count of racketeering and eight more of sex trafficking. During the trial he was confronted by victims who accused him of sexual abuse over decades.

R. Kelly is sentenced to 20 years

R. Kelly, known for the hit songs I Believe I Can Fly and Ignition (Remix), was found responsible of being the ringleader of a violent and coercive scheme to lure women and minors and sexually abuse them.

R. Kelly has just been sentenced in Chicago to 20 years for his federal sex crimes case. Prosecutors recommended a 25-year sentence and asked that it be served in addition to the time he is already serving behind bars.

Will R. Kelly spend the rest of his life in prison?

R. Kelly was charged with abusing four people, three of them minors, and he also faced child pornography charges. He was found guilty of six of 13 charges. The jury convicted him of the child pornography charges but acquitted him of the conspiracy and seduction charges.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s charges against Kelly were dropped in January, and Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean said Foxx decided not to pursue the case because he has been convicted two times for similar offenses and Kelly is already facing life in prison.