Grammy-winning singer R. Kelly was found guilty today in Chicago on six of 13 counts related to child pornography and enticing underage girls to have sex with him. corresponding Reuters. Any child pornography conviction in Chicago carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.
Kelly was previously sentenced to 30 years in prison on nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering in federal court in Brooklyn.
Today Kelly was found guilty of three counts of child pornography and three counts of seducing a minor into sex. He was acquitted of seven other charges, including obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obtain child pornography. He had pleaded not guilty.
Of the sexual assault offenses, four are serious criminal sexual assault offenses carrying a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
The charges were originally filed on May 30, 2019, after Kelly previously pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse against four alleged victims — three of whom prosecutors said were minors at the time. The new charges relate to one of the original underage victims and allegedly happened in 2010.
The Associated Press said prosecutors wrote in court documents that the statute of limitations on bringing charges was extended to 20 years from her 18th birthday because the victim was a minor at the time.
Kelly also faces additional charges in Illinois and Minnesota, according to Reuters.
The latest news is part of the episodes of Lifetime’s 2019 documentary series Survive R. Kelly, which featured alleged victims to detail the singer’s abusive past. Stormy Daniels’ ex-attorney Michael Avenatti then came forward with a video of Kelly allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl.