R. Kelly (sentencing)
R&B singer R. Kelly was convicted in New York in September 2021 of racketeering and Mann Act sex trafficking offences and sentenced on June 29, 2022 to 30 years in prison. In September 2022 a Chicago federal jury convicted him of child pornography and enticement charges; most of that 20-year sentence runs concurrently, giving a combined term of 31 years.
- Status
- Conviction
- Type
- Sex Trafficking
- Date
- June 29, 2022
- Location
- New York City, New York
- Age
- 55
- Gender
- Male
- Decade
- 2020s
- Open
- Partly resolved
- Charges or trial
- ClosedConviction
At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
Case background and investigation
On June 29, 2022, R&B singer R. Kelly (Robert Sylvester Kelly) was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after his conviction on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Kelly had operated a criminal enterprise to recruit and sexually abuse women and underage girls for decades. His inner circle helped identify and groom victims.
In September 2022, Kelly was convicted in a separate Chicago federal trial of child pornography and enticement charges. In February 2023 he was sentenced to 20 years, of which all but one year runs concurrently with the New York sentence, for a combined term of 31 years.
The case was propelled by the 2019 documentary series 'Surviving R. Kelly.' Despite decades of allegations, Kelly had avoided accountability until the #MeToo movement shifted public sentiment.
Timeline
-
September 27, 2021Convicted of sex trafficking in New York.
-
June 29, 2022Sentenced to 30 years.
-
September 14, 2022Convicted of child pornography in Chicago.
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February 23, 2023Sentenced to 20 years in the Chicago case, with only one year consecutive to the New York sentence (combined 31 years).
Sources
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About this entry
This case is recorded as conviction and is kept in the index for its historical and investigative significance. At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Entry last updated September 29, 2026.
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