"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'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.

The former R&B star is being held in a medium-security prison in North Carolina, records show. He is not due to be released until December 2045.

In an appeal, the shamed musician, full name Robert Sylvester Kelly, argued Illinois' old statute of limitations- which required prosecution of child sex crime charges within 10 years- should have applied,