R Kelly formally appeals to Donald Trump to commute his ۳۱-year prison sentence

R Kelly has formally appealed to the US president, Donald Trump, for a reduction of his ۳۱-year prison sentence for racketeering, sex trafficking and child abuse images, in a filing to the Department of Justice.

The ۵۹-year-old R&B singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was found guilty in ۲۰۲۱ of leading a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual activity and pornography, for which he was sentenced to ۳۰ years in prison. In ۲۰۲۲ he was found guilty on three counts of child abuse images and three counts of child enticement and sentenced to ۲۰ years in prison, which he is serving nearly entirely concurrently but for one additional year.

He is currently serving his combined ۳۱-year sentence at a North Carolina federal prison and is currently not eligible for release until January ۲۰۴۶.

Kelly’s request for commutation was revealed in court records made public this week by the office of the pardon attorney, which reviews filings for executive clemency for the White House.

Kelly’s lawyer, Beau Brindley, has been publicly lobbying Trump for more than a year. The request for commutation, made public in court documents, is listed as currently “pending” and is not a request for a full pardon.

In ۲۰۲۵ Brindley filed an emergency motion seeking Kelly’s immediate release from federal custody to home detention, claiming that the singer’s life was in danger, alleging three prison officials had orchestrated a plot for a terminally ill inmate to kill the singer in exchange for an early release.

Brindley wrote in a statement at the time that “the only thing that can protect Mr Kelly behind the prison walls now is the fact that now the world is watching. And we will call on the courts and President Trump to help put an end to the corruption that now threatens Mr Kelly’s life.”

The motion was denied.

Kelly has repeatedly denied all allegations against him.

• Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support on ۸۰۰-۶۵۶-۴۶۷۳. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on ۰۸۰۸ ۸۰۲ ۹۹۹۹. In Australia, support is available at ۱۸۰۰Respect (۱۸۰۰ ۷۳۷ ۷۳۲). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html