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R. Kelly Gets Another Year in Prison for Latest Sex Abuse Conviction

OVERTIME

The disgraced singer was sentenced to 20 additional years for sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor, 19 of which he’ll serve concurrently with his 30-year sentence.

R. Kelly leaves court in a silver suit and sunglasses
Daniel Acker/Reuters

R. Kelly will serve another year in prison in addition to the 30 years he initially received in 2021 for sex trafficking and racketeering, a federal judge in Illinois ruled Thursday. The disgraced singer, 56, was convicted last September on six counts of sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor. Although Kelly was slapped with a 20-year sentence, he will serve all but one of those years concurrently with his 30-year sentence. His attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, had fought for Kelly to receive a lighter 10-year sentence, arguing the 30 years he’s already spending will effectively serve as a life sentence given his age. However, prosecutors had argued keeping him in prison for life is “the only way to ensure Kelly does not reoffend.” The case hinged on a 26-minute video sent to the Chicago Sun-Times showing Kelly performing sex acts with a minor, who testified that the sexual relationship began when she was just 15 and Kelly was in his 30s.

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