Prosecutors Want R. Kelly to Be Sentenced to More Than 25 Years in Prison

Following his conviction on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, federal prosecutors suggested that R. Kelly serve more than 25 years in prison in a recently filed sentencing memo.

Prosecutors said in documents obtained by ABC News that the R&B vocalist “avoided punishment” for the wrongdoings “for nearly 30 years and must now be held accountable.”

Kelly, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty on 9 charges of sexual misconduct with young women and children in September of last year.

The government cites the “seriousness of the offenses” in a memo filed Wednesday in the Eastern District of New York, requesting Judge Ann M. Donnelly to take into account a sentence “in excess of 25 years” and a fine ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.

“Put simply, the defendant’s crimes were calculated, methodical, and part of a long-standing pattern of using his platform as a larger-than-life musical persona and his deep network to gain access to teenagers, many of whom were particularly vulnerable, and then to exploit them for his personal gain and sexual gratification,” the memo reads in part.

Prosecutors stated that “given the breadth of the defendant’s conduct and its continuity over a period of decades, the government has little doubt that if afforded an opportunity to offend again, the defendant would do so” if released.

Kelly’s sentencing is set for June 29.

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