WeeklySA_AdminAPPEAL: Already serving a 30-year sentence on racketeering and sex trafficking charges, the superstar to approach the Supreme Court…
By Entertainment Reporter
A US federal appeals court has upheld R. Kelly’s 20-year prison sentence over child pornography and other crimes, rejecting the R&B singer’s defence that the case was filed too late.
Kelly was sentenced in February last year but his lawyers argued the statute of limitations had passed by the time he was charged, a defence the Chicago court rejected on Friday.
“For years, Robert Sylvester Kelly abused underage girls. By employing a complex scheme to keep victims quiet, he long evaded consequences,” Judge Amy St Eve wrote in the ruling by the three-panel bench.
“Those crimes caught up with him at last. But Kelly, interposing a statute-of-limitations defence, thinks he delayed the charges long enough to elude them entirely. The statute says otherwise, so we affirm his conviction.”
Kelly (57) is already serving a 30-year sentence he received after a Brooklyn jury in a separate federal trial convicted him on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
The two sentences would be served concurrently, with all but one year taken at the same time, adding up to a maximum of 31 years in jail.
His lawyer Jennifer Bonjean told US media that Kelly would appeal the decision before the Supreme Court.
“We are disappointed in the ruling but our fight is far from over,” Bonjean said in a statement.
Anonymous tapes
Kelly was convicted by a New York court in September 2022 on six of 13 counts: three of producing child pornography and three of enticement of a minor.
The federal conviction in Chicago came one year later and was widely seen as a milestone for the #MeToo movement: it was the first major sex abuse trial where the majority of the accusers were Black women.
It was also the first time Kelly faced criminal consequences for the abuse he was rumoured for decades to have inflicted on women and children.
A Chicago native who soared to global celebrity on a burst of 1990s megahits including “I Believe I Can Fly”, Kelly became one of R&B’s biggest stars, and dodged censure despite a dubious personal life, including his ultimately annulled marriage to 15-year-old protege Aaliyah.
In the early 2000s, Chicago reporter Jim DeRogatis anonymously received two tapes that appeared to show Kelly having sex with young girls.
The artist was indicted for child pornography but following years of trial delays — during which he continued to tour and record, Kelly was acquitted on all counts in a controversial trial.
DeRogatis and other reporters continued to publish allegations of assault and abuse, however, as two women in Atlanta founded the “Mute R. Kelly” movement, which encouraged boycotting his music.
It wasn’t until January 2019, when a Lifetime docuseries once again aired the allegations, that a sea change began.
His label dropped him and as outrage boiled over, fresh legal action brewed: prosecutors levelled state charges against him after which federal prosecutors in both Illinois and New York indicted Kelly.
SA GIVE JOE WARM WELCOME
SOULFUL: Sold-out Pretoria show proves the American crooner’s unflagging popularity…
By Priscilla Malinga
Grammy winner and R & B singer Joe Thomas wound up his three-city tour at the Pretoria’s SunBet Arena on Tuesday on a high note, serenading the crowd with his musical voice and popular tunes.
Preceded by performances in Sun City and Cape Town, Thomas’ Pretoria concert was punctuated by occasional crowd sing-along choruses warming to the American superstar’s favourite hits. Thomas rose into fame in the early 90’s with some of his hit songs like Good girls and All That I Am, among others.
The concert was fully booked soon after ticket sales opened and organisers had to add extra seats to the high demand. During some of the performances, Thomas kept sitting down, prompting one fan to quip that he was getting old. But the show was well-received, with fans having come out in numbers to come and enjoy the soothing sounds of his best, singing along to every tune. To be fair, Thomas still looks as good as he did back in the 80’s.
One journalist quipped that some people in SA felt artists like Thomas tended to come to South Africa when they were no longer making money in their home countries, and therefore were taking advantage of locals.
But this was not true as Thomas is one of the artists that is truly busy and still being booked all over the world. Responding to the polemic at a media conference, Thomas laughed and sarcastically answered that he was not here to take money from Africa.
He said the remark hurt as he was invited to come and perform and he was so excited he couldn’t wait to come. He said that he loved South Africa so much he would love it if he came here all the time to perform.
Asked how he planned to make sure he kept the crowds entertained and not do the same thing over and over again, he said – as an artist – he would make sure that he gave a good performance each time he came here as it was his duty to keep his fans entertained always.
“I appreciate my fans who understand me,” he said. “The (response to) song I Believe In You surprised me a lot,” said Thomas. He was truly surprised that people were singing along to it. He said he didn’t quite get such surprises elsewhere as he did here in South Africa.
Vertex, the organisers, had earlier decided to cancel complimentary tickets to accommodate the high interest in the show. “We are thrilled and grateful for the support of our audience, and the excitement surrounding the Joe Thomas Magic Music Sessions Tour. It’s incredible,” said Thato Segaole, founding executive director.
“The overwhelming demand for tickets speaks volumes about the enduring appeal of Joe’s music and the enthusiasm of his dedicated supporters. We are delighted to be able to offer seating options to ensure that more fans have the opportunity to enjoy this unforgettable concert experience.
We eagerly look forward to producing a show that lives up to the expectations of our audience.” Tickets for the Joe Thomas concert were sold out and the Arena was full to capacity – proof of Thomas’ unflagging popularity in South Africa in spite of him having performed here several times before. Vertex Events is a premier event management company dedicated to bringing world-class entertainment experiences to audiences worldwide.
