R. Kelly asks Trump to reduce 31-year prison sentence through executive clemency

• R. Kelly has formally appealed to US President Donald Trump to commute his 31-year federal prison sentence, filing a request for executive clemency with the US Department of Justice.

• The singer is seeking a sentence commutation rather than a full presidential pardon, and his application is currently under review by the Office of the Pardon Attorney.

• Kelly was convicted in separate federal cases involving racketeering, child sexual abuse material and child enticement, but has consistently denied the allegations against him.

According to court records released this week by the Office of the Pardon Attorney and first reported by The Guardian, Kelly has submitted a request to the US Department of Justice seeking a commutation of his sentence rather than a full presidential pardon. The application is currently under review.

Kelly, whose legal name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2021 on federal racketeering charges after prosecutors accused him of operating a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

In 2022, the singer was found guilty in a separate federal case on three counts relating to child sexual abuse material and three counts of child enticement. Although he received an additional 20-year prison sentence, all but one year is being served concurrently with his earlier sentence, leaving him with a total prison term of 31 years.

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Kelly's legal team has previously argued that his safety in prison is at risk. During earlier court proceedings, his attorney, Beau Brindley, appealed for intervention from both the courts and the White House.

Brindley said;

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However, the emergency motion filed by the defence was later rejected by the court.

Kelly has consistently denied the allegations against him throughout the legal proceedings. His latest request for executive clemency remains pending before the US Department of Justice, with no decision yet announced.