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Federal prosecutors asked the judge to give singer R. Kelly another 25 years in prison for child pornography and enticement convictions last year in Chicago, which will add to the 30 years he recently served in the New York case.
The 56-year-old will not be eligible for parole until he is about 100 if the judge agrees to the 25-year sentence and another government request that Kelly begin serving the Chicago sentence only after the 30-year New York sentence. fully served.
In a sentencing recommendation filed late Thursday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, prosecutors described Kelly’s behavior as “sadistic,” calling him a “serial sexual predator” who has no remorse and “poses a serious danger to society.”
“The only way to ensure Kelly does not reoffend is to impose a sentence that would keep him in prison for the rest of his life,” the 37-page government said.
Kelly’s sentencing in Chicago is set for Thursday next week.
Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, wrote in a filing last week that despite the 30-year New York sentence, “Kelly must defy all statistical odds to get out of prison alive.” He cited data that the average age of inmates is 64.
He recommended a sentence of about 10 years, at the low end of sentencing guidelines, which he said could run concurrently with the New York sentence.
While arguing for a lesser sentence, Bonjean accused Kelly, who is black, of being singled out for actions that white rock stars say have been missing for decades.
“No one will be prosecuted and no one will die in prison,” he wrote.
Prosecutors acknowledged that a 25-year sentence in the Chicago case would be more than sentencing guidelines recommend. But they support imposing a long sentence and instructing it to be implemented only after the New York sentence is appropriate.
“Continuous sentences are reasonable given Kelly’s heinous conduct,” the filing said. “Kelly’s sexual abuse of minors was intentional and productive.”
In a trial in Chicago last year, the jury convicted the Grammy Award-winning singer on six of 13 counts. But the government lost a marquee amount when Kelly and his business manager successfully falsified the state’s 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 his smash hits I Believe I Can Fly and songs that contain sex such as Bump n’ Grind.
When the singer tried it in 2008, it was only after the 2019 Lifetime documentary aired. Long live R. Kelly – presented testimony by prosecutors – as the criminal investigation kicked into high gear, ending with new federal and state charges.
In January, an Illinois judge dismissed the state’s pretrial sex abuse charges on the recommendation of Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Foxx said he was happy to drop the case because Kelly will spend decades in prison on federal convictions.
Described as manipulative
Prosecutors in Kelly’s federal court in Chicago described him as a master manipulator who used his fame and wealth to attract star fans to sexually abuse them, in some cases to record videos, and then dispose of them.
After deliberating over two days, the jury convicted Kelly of three counts each of producing child pornography and enticement of minors for sex, while freeing people from obstruction of justice, one count of producing child pornography and three counts of receiving child pornography.
The Chicago verdict comes months after a federal judge in New York sentenced Kelly to 30 years in prison for racketeering and sex trafficking. Based on the sentence, he is not eligible for parole until he is 80 years old.
Despite being given time off for good behavior, Kelly will only be eligible for parole if he serves 25 years after his New York sentence in 2066, according to the government’s Thursday filing.
It will be up to Judge Harry Leinenweber in Chicago to decide the important question of whether Kelly should serve any sentences that are served concurrently, concurrently, with the New York sentence or consecutively.
Kelly’s legal team is appealing the New York and Chicago convictions. Prosecutors sometimes insist on long sentences for defendants convicted in previous trials to ensure that, if some convictions are later thrown out, they will still be in custody.
Bonjean said the trauma in Kelly’s life, including abuse as a child and illiteracy as an adult, justified leniency in sentencing the singer.
Kelly “is not an evil monster but a complex human being (there is no doubt) who faced great challenges in his childhood that shaped his adult life,” he said.
The alleged conduct had occurred decades ago should also be considered, he said.
“While Kelly was not a child in the late 1990s, he was also not a middle-aged man at the time of the 2019 indictment,” he said. “Kelly is a broken man in his 20s.”
He added that Kelly has paid a heavy price from legal problems, including financial problems. He said he was worth close to $1 billion, but he was “poor now.”
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