R Kelly Sentenced To Additional 20 Years In Prison For Child Pornography And Enticement Of Minors For Sex

R. Kelly is known for hits like "I Believe I Can Fly," but he's more notoriously known for sexually abusing young women and luring them into his home to live with him. The 56-year-old is already serving a 30-year prison term for sex trafficking charges, of which he was convicted in 2021 in a New York federal court. His sexual abuse of minors goes back many years and he is even caught on video sexually assaulting and urinating on a teenage girl, who testified in court and explained in detail how Kelly groomed her from a young age. 20 more years in prison has been added on to his sentence for child pornography.

R Kelly Sentenced to Additional 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography and Enticement of Minors for Sex

In Chicago on Thursday, a judge ruled that Kelly would serve an additional 20 years in prison for his convictions of child pornography and enticement of minors for sex. Prosecutors initially requested 25 years and also asked that this term be served after the New York sentence of 30 years was completed; they believe his crimes against children, as well as his lack of remorse, are reason enough to see Kelly behind bars for the rest of his life. Judge Henry Leinenweber ruled that Kelly's 20-year Chicago sentence will be served concurrent to his New York sentence with the exception of one year.

This sentencing comes after three decades of sexual assault allegations against female minors. Back in 2002, Kelly was indicted for child pornography (he allegedly filmed himself having sex with an underage girl) but he was eventually acquitted in 2008.

A woman who went by Jane came forward to tell the story of how she was only 12 years old when she met Kelly at church for the first time. She was performing with a musical group across Europe and her family even allowed Kelly to become her godfather. That's when he started making sexual advances toward her and offered her alcohol to "loosen up." Soon enough, she was raped by Kelly as he filmed videos of the sexual abuse. She was only 15 years old when he took her virginity. She kept everything a secret for many years but recently decided to come forward and speak out.

“In the unlikely event that Kelly was to survive his 30-year sentence, there is no reason to believe he would reoffend as a geriatric in his mid-80s,” Kelly's attorneys wrote. “The overwhelming majority of Kelly’s criminal conduct was committed a quarter century ago.”

But the prosecutors call Kelly "a serial sexual predator who, over the course of many years, specifically targeted young girls and went to great lengths to conceal his abuse of Jane and other minor victims." Kelly will likely be behind bars for the rest of his life.