R. Kelly Seeks Supreme Court Intervention to Overturn Child Pornography Conviction

R. Kelly’s attorneys are currently attempting to overturn the rapper’s sentence in child pornography case by appealing to the Supreme Court (via consequence). 

In 2022, rapper R. Kelly was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison in an alleged child pornography production and alleged child sex trafficking case in Chicago. His attorneys are currently attempting to overturn this guilty verdict and prison sentence by arguing that the evidence used against him were not within the statute of limitations. 

The evidence was originally used because the statute of limitations on child pornography was eliminated in 2003 under the 2003 PROTECT Act. However this act does not state that it applies retroactively, and a previous version of the act which would have made it valid retroactively was denied. Due to this R. Kelly’s attorneys argue that he could not be charged using the old evidence and that his alleged victims were over the age of consent when the 2003 PROTECT Act was passed. 

This appeal was already struck down in a federal appellate court in Chicago earlier this year, however, R. Kelly’s legal team is now appealing to the Supreme Court.