Hassan Magulumali
R. Kelly’s convictions for racketeering and sex trafficking, along with his 30-year prison sentence, were upheld on Wednesday by a federal appeals court, which ruled that the American singer exploited his fame for over a quarter of a century to sexually abuse girls and young women.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued its decision following arguments heard last March.
The Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling R&B artist was convicted in 2021 in a Brooklyn federal court on multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking.
Jennifer Bonjean, Kelly’s attorney, stated that she believed the Supreme Court would agree to hear an appeal. She criticised the 2nd Circuit’s ruling as “unprecedented,” arguing that it grants prosecutors unlimited discretion to apply the racketeering law “to situations absurdly remote” from the statute’s original intent.
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Last year, the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal against a 20-year sentence Kelly received following his 2022 conviction in Chicago for child sex offences, including the production of images of child sexual abuse.
The 2nd Circuit rejected Kelly’s claims that the trial evidence was insufficient, that the constitutionality of some state laws used against him was questionable, that four jurors were biased, that the trial judge made improper rulings, and that the application of racketeering laws—more commonly associated with organised crime—was inappropriate.
“For over twenty-five years, Kelly, enabled by a network of managers, assistants, and other staff, exploited his fame to lure girls and young women into his control,” the appeals court stated, noting that members of his entourage facilitated introductions to underage girls.
“Evidence at trial demonstrated that he isolated them from friends and family, controlled nearly every aspect of their lives, and subjected them to verbal, physical, and sexual abuse,” the three-judge panel concluded.
