R. Kelly is going to spend a lot of time in prison, that’s something we already know. But, exactly how long he’ll be behind bars is still up in the air.
Nearly a week before the disgraced R&B singer is set to be sentenced for his child pornography and enticement convictions, federal prosecutors are requesting that Kelly get 25 more years in prison for those convictions, according to the Associated Press. Those 25 years would be added on top of the 30 years he’s already serving from the sex trafficking conviction.
Currently, Kelly is 56 years old, if he were to be sentenced to another 25 years, the singer would not be eligible for release until he was damn near 100.
The government filing from prosecutors read, “The only way to ensure Kelly does not re-offend is to impose a sentence that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life.”
In response, Kelly’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, recommends that Kelly be sentenced to 10 years on the child pornography conviction, arguing that her client was singled out for behavior that white celebrities and rock stars have gotten away with for years, according to the Associated Press.
I’m no legal expert, but 10 years in prison after being convicted on child pornography charges is not it. It would be a slap in the face to the victims he hurt and agonized for years.
On top of arguing for a lesser prison sentence, Kelly’s attorneys also filed a motion for a new trial in the child pornography case. On Thursday, a Chicago judge denied the motion, saying that the evidence prosecutors provided to find the disgraced singer guilty was enough, per a report from Rolling Stone.
Whether R. Kelly is facing an extra 10 or 25 years in prison, he’ll be spending a lot of time behind bars and will have to think about the harm he caused countless victims while he sits in a prison cell.