NEW YORK—R. Kelly deserves no more than 10 years in prison despite his conviction for scheming over decades to recruit women and girls for sex, reflecting how history as an abused child may have led to his adult “hypersexuality,” the R&B singer’s lawyer said.
Kelly’s bid for leniency was detailed in a Tuesday filing in Brooklyn federal court, one day before the 55-year-old known for the 1996 smash “I Believe I Can Fly” will be sentenced.
“The lion’s share of the conduct alleged [against] the defendant is decades-old, demonstrating that defendant is not currently a risk to the public,” Kelly’s lawyer Jennifer Bonjean wrote. “As Drs. Dietz and Sorrentino confirm, defendant is neither a pedophile nor a sexual sadist.”…