"Kelly – interposing a statute-of-limitations defense – thinks he delayed the charges long enough to elude them entirely. The statute says otherwise, so we affirm his conviction," Judge Amy St. Eve wrote in the unanimous ruling.

R. Kelly was also sentenced in a separate case to 30 years in prison, though the bulk of his Chicago sentence can be served at the same time.

R. Kelly's attempt to appeal his 20-year sentence on sex crime and child pornography charges has been denied. R. Kelly’s attempt to appeal his 20-year sentence on sex crime and child pornography charges has been denied.