Audio By Carbonatix
Disgraced singer R. Kelly must spend an extra year in prison on top of a 30-year sentence he is already serving.
Kelly was jailed in June 2022 for three decades for sex trafficking and racketeering after a trial in New York.
Several months later, he was convicted in a second federal trial in Chicago of enticing minors for sex and producing child sexual imagery.
He has now received a 20-year term for those crimes, but 19 will be served at the same time as the previous sentence.
If served in full, he will be behind bars until he is in his mid-80s.
Federal prosecutors were seeking a 25-year sentence in the second case, higher than required under federal sentencing guidelines. They said Kelly's crimes were made worse by the fact that he filmed them, with some of the footage later becoming available online.
"Because Kelly is Kelly, more people have watched child pornography," they said in a memo. "The effects of Kelly's conduct are wide-ranging, incalculable and irreversible."
The memo argued that Kelly has an "insatiable" desire to abuse children, and that a lengthy sentence was required to "protect the community" from further harm.
Kelly's defence attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, had asked the judge to allow Kelly to serve his latest sentence concurrently with the previous sentence, meaning he would have served them at the same time. She said a consecutive sentence would amount to a "second life sentence".
She also accused prosecutors of using an "embellished" narrative to "inflame" perceptions of the former R&B star.
During the Chicago trial, the victim - known by the pseudonym "Jane" - testified that Kelly sexually abused her hundreds of times before she turned 18.
Three videos of the abuse were shown to jurors during the trial. Four other women also accused Kelly abusing them as children.
In his previous trial in New York, jurors heard that Kelly trafficked women for sexual abuse across the US, with help from his managers and other members of his entourage.
The Grammy-winning singer - best-known for songs such as Ignition (Remix) and the hugely popular 1996 anthem I Believe I Can Fly - is among the highest-profile musicians accused of abuse in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Watch: R. Kelly survivor makes tearful statement outside New York court following his sentencing
Latest Stories
-
Suspected armed robber dies from gunshot wound after snatching a taxi at La
35 minutes -
2026 World Cup: Vinicius Jr rescues draw as Brazil come from behind
1 hour -
Six arrested as security forces crack down on defiant China Mall project
3 hours -
Qatar stun Switzerland to snatch first-ever World Cup point
4 hours -
Kidnapped Nigerian retired general dies in captivity
4 hours -
Trump says US-Iran deal to be signed on Sunday as Tehran casts doubt on timing
5 hours -
2026 World Cup: Sports Ministry demands FIFA intervention over Partey’s visa denial
5 hours -
Three killed, three injured in Yikurigu crash involving Yutong VVIP bus and Toyota Sienna
6 hours -
Child labour surges in Ada East District – Social Welfare Director
7 hours -
Let Love Lead NGO mobilises 3,000 volunteers for Nima sanitation drive to prevent flooding
7 hours -
High Court quashes GTEC directive derecognising UNEM degrees
8 hours -
Family demands independent probe into disappearance of newborn baby at Salaga Hospital
9 hours -
Al Qaeda-linked militants curb their brutality in seized Malian territory
9 hours -
Photos: How Accra West uses ‘aboboyaa’ to transport waste on muddy roads to McCarthy Hills dumpsite
9 hours -
Yaya Touré seals surprise new job with Champions League club
9 hours