R Kelly has appealed to a New York court to overturn a 30-year racketeering sentence, served to him in 2022.

The R&B singer - whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly - was found guilty of racketeering and trafficking following a high-profile trial in New York in 2021.

It followed years of accusations throughout his career.

He was served an additional year in prison on charges relating to indecent images of children and child enticement in Chicago last year.

Kelly - who was not present at the appeal - alleges that prosecutors failed to prove their racketeering claim or that he violated several women.

He also says he was denied a fair trial because several jurors prejudged his guilt, his lawyer provided ineffective counsel, and the jury was "swamped" by excessive evidence of other alleged bad acts.

Kelly was defended in the appeal hearing by lawyer Jennifer Bonjean, who began by disputing the definition of a RICO enterprise (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) and whether there has to be anything inherently illegal about such an organisation.

Speaking about Kelly's team of staff, and whether they were aware of "what happened behind closed doors," she said that while "there were rules and things, [the staff] did these anodyne tasks that were perhaps a little unusual, but not that put them on notice that what was happening behind closed doors was illegal".

When asked about staff's specific knowledge of the age of girls recruited to come and see Kelly backstage, Ms Bonjean said: "I do not believe there was any evidence that the employee would book travel for someone who was in fact under the age of consent."

Kelly's brief marriage to pop star Aaliyah

Representing the United States, assistant US attorney Kayla Bensing said Kelly "had a system in place that lured young people into his orbit, and then he took over their lives".

She went on to describe women aged 16 or 17 invited by members of Kelly's staff to come backstage, including one who she said was invited by Kelly's bouncers to come backstage at a concert in Miami.

She said that was "three days after Kelly's marriage to Aaliyah, in which he bribed a county official in order to hide or alleviate the consequences of illegal sexual activity".

She also spoke about a former runner to Kelly, who described his girlfriends as "looking very young, specifically middle-aged teenagers".

Ms Bensing also said there was evidence Kelly's team knew he had been infected with herpes while having unprotected sex with his victims.

Claims of forced labour

She finally bought the claim of forced labour into the case, describing Kelly as "obtaining labour and services, here sex acts, through threats of serious harm or physical restraint against the victims".

In her three-minute rebuttal of the argument, Ms Bonjean said the forced labour counts "were premised on a single act," adding, "so unless the court is prepared to say that a single act of MouthAction, even if it's forced, frankly constitutes forced labour, that is just making federal law co-extensive with state law".

She also said the government was taking the position that "a RICO enterprise cannot not be rooted in criminality," which she described as "unique" and "not supported" by previous cases.

The judges will now consider the appeal, and will issue a written decision at a later date.

Under his current convictions, Kelly, who is 57, will not be eligible for release until he is 80 years old.

Kelly rose from poverty to become one of the world's biggest R&B stars. He became known for chart-topping hits including I Believe I Can Fly, Bump 'N' Grind and Ignition.

Although abuse allegations began circulating in the 1990s, widespread outrage followed the #MeToo reckoning and the 2019 series Surviving R Kelly.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.com/story/amp/r-kelly-appeals-to-overturn-30-year-sex-crime-sentence-13097635

Previous Thread
https://www.nairaland.com/7203298/r-kelly-sentenced-30-years#114273407

He should jare... Abeg we have missed his discography

Yesterday, It was reported on one other thread on frontpage how a guy cried out for help cos he kept seeing himself going back to knack his neighbour's pregnant wife......

Now, between R Kelly and the fvcker of pregnant neighbour, who is Worst??

#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly

A

How the mighty have fallen

Make abunna nor go derail our destiny o IJN

😥

This life is a mystery.

Few years ago, he was the rave of the moment.

Today his life comes crashing before his very eyes.

Nawaa oo

GOFRONT:
Yesterday, It was reported on one other thread on frontpage how a guy cried out for help cos he kept seeing himself going back to knack his neighbour's pregnant wife......

Now, between R Kelly and the fvcker of pregnant neighbour, who is Worst??

#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly

Lol

Make den help us free this man abeg.....

Evidence boku....jst dey play o... Na so Michael Jackson spend all him money for court untop child molestation and rape until him kpai.... What's with all dis stars and perversion?

Let me not lie I like pússy a lot but I will never do what R Kelly did

Typical western hypocrisy. The moment you go against their establishment, they begin to slam you with sexual offences.

Women from 5/10/20 years ago suddenly pop up claiming you assaulted them. Once that begins, you are done for.

Whoever advised him to put in this appeal doesn't like him. I guess it's a lawyer who wants to have his own share of the little he has left. The case is DOA. The evidence against him is enormous

R Kelly is a known sexual predator, I don't think he's coming out any time soon

GOFRONT:
Yesterday, It was reported on one other thread on frontpage how a guy cried out for help cos he kept seeing himself going back to knack his neighbour's pregnant wife......

Now, between R Kelly and the fvcker of pregnant neighbour, who is Worst??

#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly
#Free R Kelly

Our guy was not taken to court and framed by the woman involved.

Abeg they should release my guy jare! Dem just wan waste this guy talent for his bad habits which most of those prosecuting him have only that they are yet to be found out. Make una release Pied Piper for us make e fit release another `Trapped in the Closet` series for us. Na wetin many stars for Naija dey do anyhow dem dey jail this guy for for US. Na girls he control o he no kill person. Star dey him own jeje girls come dey follow am like ants attracted to sugar, it takes a whole lot of self control not to allow that get to your head and resist them. I even heard a case of a girl who the parents forced out of his mansion only for her to run back to R.Kelly by herself, star l'omo latile he just can't help it...free R.Kelly!

Rkelly …………Baddest of all Time.

Dead on arrival.

He belongs in jail after what he did to those kids.

I worked in family court. I've seen 5year Olds raped by matured men.

I've seen a 7year old raped by 6 men in her compound aged 19-56!

I've seen a young boy so violently violated that be could barely walk.

Perhaps the worst was a 6months old bay girl wrapped in a blanket, penetrated by a man. She died after multiple surgeries.

Child rapist should be hanged!
But then again, from most of the comments, it's clear that 98% of Nigerian men are potential child rapist. If not, why all the support of Rkelly?? He was a known sex predators for decades and evaded justice for a long time solely because he had means. But lock ran out of him. Every day for the theft... one day for justice!

He is where he belongs. Locked up like the wild animal he is.

Such a shame... An amazing legacy torn to shreds just due to lack of discipline.

Any man or woman with high self control when it comes to sex and money has succeeded already.

Women....destroyers of great men.

Hehehe

Toto has finally destroyed this one.

It destroyed Samson and it will destroy more men.

Angelfrost:
Such a shame... An amazing legacy torn to shreds just due to lack of discipline.

Any man or woman with high self control when it comes to sex and money has succeeded already

💯💯💯💯

See what pained frustrated greedy OLOSHOS have caused this FOOLISH INNOCENT MAN

Pls they should just free him for Christ sake.
He didn't kill anyone. All those women have a brain of their own to make a decision and choice.

But they would always want to nail a superstar.
I just remembered Dani Alves

Abeg make una pardon am

E no go do am again

Abeg

🥵

Pride goes before a sudden fall...

When international fame and stardom inflated his ego, he acted recklessly as though he were invincible and untouchable.

But now see how helpless he looks.

Absuchat:
Women....destroyers of great men.

He was a great talent but never a great man.
His own children hate him.
A great man doesn't rape kids repeatedly.

God gave him so many chances but he said with his money, he could get away with anything...

Only his fellow child rapist sympathize with him. Are you one?

The Jury...

Pls who knows where I can download any PES football offline mode. Biko anyone hlp