By Miracle Ogunde
Following his conviction for racketeering and sex trafficking in 2021, a federal appeal court in Manhattan has upheld singer R. Kelly’s 30-year prison sentence.
The Appeal Court, on Wednesday February 12, 2025, concluded that the 58-year-old musician used his fame to exploit and sexually abuse girls and young women.
The court also upheld his racketeering and sex trafficking convictions.
Also, the three-judge panel rejected his claim that prosecutors didn’t prove he established a racketeering scheme to recruit women and underage girls for sex.
The court held: “Enabled by a constellation of managers, assistants, and his other staff for over 25-years, Kelly exploited his fame to lure ladies and young women into his grasp.
“Evidence at trial proved that he would isolate victims from friends and family, control every aspect of their lives, and abuse them physically, sexually, and verbally.”
In 2022, the singer bagged another 20-year jail term for child sex charges, including charges of producing images of child sexual abuse in Chicago.
Reacting to the Appeal Court judgement in a statement, Kelly’s legal representative, Jennifer Bonjean, said she would appeal the case at the Supreme Court.
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