R. Kelly has been labeled a “sadistic serial sexual predator” by federal prosecutors seeking to have the disgraced singer spend the rest of his life in prison.
According to the Associated Press, the U.S. attorneys behind Kelly’s 2022 conviction on child pornography and enticement charges in Chicago have submitted a recommended sentence of 25 years for the crimes, which they admit is more than what is suggested by sentencing guidelines.
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The government has further indicated that they would like R. Kelly’s sentence in the Chicago case to begin only after he has completed the 30-year sentence he is currently serving after being found guilty of similar charges in New York in 2021.
The sentencing recommendation, filed in the U.S. District Court on Thursday (February 16), described Kelly as “a serial sexual predator” who hasn’t shown any remorse for his “sadistic” behavior, leading prosecutors to believe he “poses a serious danger to society.”
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“The only way to ensure Kelly does not reoffend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life,” prosecutors added.
R. Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, has countered with a request to have her client sentenced to a 10-year sentence, to be served concurrently with his New York sentence. She explained that with the average life expectancy for prison inmates being 64, the 56-year-old crooner is already unlikely to survive his sentence.
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Bonjean went on to suggest that the harsh recommendation by the U.S. Attorney’s office was motivated by race, pointing to the vast number of white rock stars who haven’t even been prosecuted despite having similar allegations levied against them.
However, prosecutors maintained they believe that, in light of “the egregiousness of Kelly’s conduct” and his “intentional and prolific” abuse of minors, tacking an additional 25 years to his already lengthy current sentence is a reasonable request.
The “I Wish” singer was convicted on six of the 13 charges he was facing in his Chicago trial in September 2022, some three months after his New York sentence was handed down. The additional charges of which he was cleared included the state’s accusation that he and his former business manager somehow rigged his 2008 child pornography trial.
R. Kelly’s Chicago sentencing is scheduled to take place on February 23.
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His lawyers previously filed motions seeking either an overturn of the conviction or a new trial, but those motions were denied by Judge Harry D. Leinenweber on Thursday.
In his written denial, Leinenweber ruled that federal prosecutors provided “enough evidence to sustain a guilty verdict on all six counts Kelly was convicted of,” according to Billboard.
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