R Kelly sentenced to 20 years for child sexual abuse crimes

A federal judge on Thursday handed the singer R Kelly a 20-year prison sentence for his convictions on child sexual abuse images and enticement of minors for sex charges, but said he would serve nearly all of the sentence simultaneously with a 30-year sentence imposed last year on racketeering charges.

Harry Leinenweber also ordered that Kelly serve one year in prison following his New York sentence.

Prosecutors acknowledged that a lengthy term served only after the New York sentence could have erased any chance of Kelly getting out of prison alive. That was what they asked for, arguing that his crimes against children and lack of remorse justified it.

A calm Kelly spoke briefly at the start of the hearing, when the judge asked if he had reviewed key presentencing documents for any inaccuracies.

Jurors in Chicago convicted Kelly last year on six of 13 counts: three counts of producing child sexual abuse imagery and three counts of child enticement.