One year added to R. Kelly's prison sentence in sex abuse of minors

Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A judge on Thursday ruled that singer R. Kelly will serve an additional year in prison for sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor.

Robert Kelly, 56, already is serving a 30-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 of racketeering, bribery and sexually abusing minors. Thursday's sentence by a federal judge in Chicago added 20 years to Kelly's sentence, but the judge ruled that 19 of those years would be served at the same time as his previous 30-year sentence, The New York Times reports.

The former R&B star was convicted in September on child pornography charges. He was accused of filming three videos of himself sexually abusing his 14-year-old goddaughter and other minors. Small clips of the videos were shown to the jury.

"The damage Mr. Kelly inflicted on his victims is immeasurable. I want to thank the victims for their strength, perseverance, and courage in coming forward to testify at trial," U.S. District Attorney John R. Lausch for the Northern District of Illinois said in a statement.

Federal prosecutors sought a 25-year sentence for Kelly for the latest convictions, concluding that he is likely to reoffend based on his history.

"The only way to ensure he will not reoffend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life," U.S. Attorney Jeannice Williams Appenteng said according to The New York Times.

Kelly's attorney Jennifer Bonjean reportedly said he would not be a threat when he is released from prison at more than 80 years old, if he were to live that long.

"Kelly would have to defy all statistical odds to make it out of prison alive," she said in a court filing last week," she said in a pre-hearing court filing, according to NBC News.