R. Kelly has been hit with one more additional year over federal child pornography charges.
The disgraced singer was convicted on six of 13 counts by a federal jury, including three counts of producing child pornography and enticing minors into illegal sexual activity. Judge Harry Leinenweber gave Kelly the one year sentence to be added to his 30-year sentence that he is currently serving after his 2021 New York conviction of racketeering, sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of a child, and bribery.
Judge Leinenweber sentenced Kelly to 20 years, where he has to serve 19 of those years concurrently with his New York sentence along with the added one year. It was reported that federal prosecutors had asked that the singer be sentenced for 25 more years in prison, which is higher than the sentencing guidelines.
Jennifer Bonjean, R. Kelly’s lawyer is arguing that he serves 10 years, the lower end of the guidelines. She also filed motions to have his convictions overturned or that he be granted a new trial, however those motions were denied.
Bonjean asked that Kelly’s 14-year sentence be run together with his New York sentence and focused on R.Kelly’s age while in prison, who is now 56 years-old. “Black men, with diabetes, do not live into their 80s in prison.”
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