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R. Kelly Asks Supreme Court To Overturn Child Sex Convictions

By Odunmorayo Oke

30 July 2024   |   5:43 pm

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In a last-ditch effort, R&B singer R.Kelly, has appealed to the United States Supreme Court to overturn his child sex crime convictions. He argues that the charges he was found guilty of should have been barred by the statute of limitations as reported by TMZ. R. Kelly’s alleged crimes The 57-year-old musician was convicted of…

In a last-ditch effort, R&B singer R.Kelly, has appealed to the United States Supreme Court to overturn his child sex crime convictions. He argues that the charges he was found guilty of should have been barred by the statute of limitations as reported by TMZ.

R. Kelly’s alleged crimes

The 57-year-old musician was convicted of three counts of child pornography and three counts of enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity in 2022. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. R.Kelly will serve 19 years simultaneously. Along with a previous 30-year sentence he received in 2021 for sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

His lawyer’s argument

R. Kelly’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, is urging the Supreme Court to throw out these latest convictions. He claims the crimes occurred decades ago, in the 1990s, and therefore exceed the statute of limitations.

The statute of limitations is the time limit for which charges can be pressed for a crime. For many crimes, there is a set number of years after the offense occurred in which charges can be filed. After that period has elapsed, the case is generally considered too old to prosecute.

However, in 2003, the federal government passed the PROTECT Act. This act eliminated the statute of limitations for certain sex crimes against children.

Specifically, the law states that there is no time limit on charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors, the production of child pornography, or the transportation of minors for illicit purposes.

Furthermore, prosecutors argue that because Kelly’s alleged crimes involved the sexual abuse of underage girls, the PROTECT Act rendered the statute of limitations indefinite, allowing the charges to be filed decades later.

However, Bonjean, R. Kelly’s lawyer, argues that the PROTECT Act should not apply to Kelly’s case because the incidents took place in the 1990s. Which was before the law was enacted. Additionally, his lawyer maintains that the charges should have been time-barred.

The Supreme Court will now decide whether to hear Kelly’s appeal in the coming months. If the high court takes up the case and rules in Kelly’s favour, it could potentially overturn his 2022 convictions.

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R. Kelly’s legal troubles

Although, Kelly’s legal troubles will still not be over. He is currently serving a 30-year sentence for the 2021 convictions and faces additional federal and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota related to the sexual abuse of multiple women and girls over two decades.