Federal appeals court upholds singer R. Kelly's convictions and 30-year prison term

By Associated Press

Published: February 13, 2025 at 10:43 AM

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 26: R&B singer R. Kelly appears at a hearing before Judge Lawrence Flood at Leighton Criminal Court Building June 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Prosecutors turned over to Kelly's defense team a DVD that alleges to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl in the 1990s. Kelly has been charged with mulitiple sex crimes involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters.
(Photo by E. Jason Wambsgans-Pool/Getty Images) — CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 26: R&B singer R. Kelly appears at a hearing before Judge Lawrence Flood at Leighton Criminal Court Building June 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Prosecutors turned over to Kelly's defense team a DVD that alleges to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl in the 1990s. Kelly has been charged with mulitiple sex crimes involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters. (Photo by E. Jason Wambsgans-Pool/Getty Images)CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 26: R&B singer R. Kelly appears at a hearing before Judge Lawrence Flood at Leighton Criminal Court Building June 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Prosecutors turned over to Kelly's defense team a DVD that alleges to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl in the 1990s. Kelly has been charged with mulitiple sex crimes involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters. (Photo by E. Jason Wambsgans-Pool/Getty Images)

A federal appeals court has upheld singer R. Kelly's racketeering convictions and a 30-year prison sentence, finding he exploited his fame for over a quarter century to sexually abuse girls and young women.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday.

The Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling songwriter was convicted in 2021 in Brooklyn federal court of multiple charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking.

Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, is known for work including the 1996 hit "I Believe I Can Fly" and the cult classic "Trapped in the Closet," a multipart tale of sexual betrayal and intrigue.

A defense lawyer says she'll appeal to the Supreme Court.

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Singer R. Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on September 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Kelly is facing multiple sexual assault charges and is being held without bail. (Photo by Antonio Perez - Pool via Getty Images)Antonio Perez / Pool/Getty Images