Appeal Court Upholds R. Kelly’s 30-Year Prison Sentence For Sex Trafficking

A federal appeals court in Manhattan has upheld R. Kelly’s 30-year prison sentence, along with his racketeering and sex trafficking convictions.

The embattled R&B singer was first convicted of these charges in 2021. In 2022, he received an additional 20-year sentence in Chicago for child sex offenses, including producing images of child sexual abuse.

In its ruling on February 12, 2025, the Appeal Court determined that the 58-year-old musician used his fame to exploit and sexually abuse young women and underage girls over the course of 25 years.

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Rejecting Kelly’s claim that prosecutors failed to prove a racketeering scheme, the three-judge panel stated:

“Enabled by a constellation of managers, assistants, and his other staff for over 25 years, Kelly exploited his fame to lure women and young girls 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.”

Following the ruling, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, vowed to challenge the decision at the U.S. Supreme Court.