R. Kelly’s Conviction for Sex Trafficking Confirmed

NEW YORK—On Wednesday, a federal appeals court affirmed the sex trafficking conviction and 30-year prison sentence of former R&B star R. Kelly.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan dismissed Kelly’s assertions that the evidence was inadequate to support the charges and that some jurors harbored bias against him.

At 58 years old, Kelly had been contesting his September 2021 conviction by a Brooklyn jury on nine counts, which included racketeering and eight violations of the Mann Act, a law prohibiting the transportation of individuals across state lines for prostitution.