Embarrassed R&B star R. Kelly has had his share of trouble coming his way.
The singer was recently found guilty of federal child pornography charges after a month-long trial in Chicago. Kelly now faces decades in prison in addition to his previously accrued 30-year prison sentence for sex-related offenses and federal extortion.
During the trial in Chicago, jurors heard a lot of harrowing testimony, including seeing clips of Kelly molesting his 14-year-old daughter, now 37. Following the guilty verdict, Kelly still faces sex-offense charges in Illinois and Minnesota. Those cases will be dealt with later.
Read on to learn more.
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R. Kelly Found Guilty of Three Child Porn Charges
On Wednesday, Kelly was found guilty of federal child pornography charges for filming himself molesting his 14-year-old daughter.
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Per New York Post, the jury’s entire deliberations are said to have lasted 11 hours as they tried to reach a verdict on the 13 charges the disgraced singer faced. In the end, Kelly was found guilty of three counts of child pornography along with three other offenses.
The statutory minimum sentence for each child pornography charge is five to ten years in Chicago, implying that Kelly is looking at a possible prison term of 15 to 30 years on the child pornography charge alone.
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In reaching their verdict, the jury found Kelly not guilty of conspiracy charges that he had influenced the outcome of his 2008 state trial, in which he was acquitted of all child pornography-related charges. The jury also acquitted him of three counts of conspiracy to obtain child pornography as well as two additional counts of solicitation.
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Hell’s Testimony Where It Takes
During the month-long trial, which began in mid-August, jurors saw a sickening video showing Kelly sexually abusing the 14-year-old girl — the same video that was the focus of the 2008 trial.
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Known as “Jane,” in court documents, the victim, now 37, also testified in court against the singer. According to him, Kelly had intercourse with him “many times”, occasionally with other underage women whom he had urged him to pleasure.
Three other women’s allegations that Kelly sexually assaulted them when they were minors were part of the evidence the jury also heard. Jurors also heard testimony from a former Chicago police investigator who had looked into the iconic footage in the early 2000s and said Mr. Kelly’s home in Chicago matched the home in the video.
Prosecutors Label R. Kelly As ‘Sexual Predator’
During the trial, the prosecution argued that the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer was a “sexual predator” who had used his popularity to prey on young girls and videotaped the abuse for his personal obscene pleasure.
“Robert Kelly abused many girls over the years,” Assistant US Attorney Elizabeth Pozolo argued. “He committed horrific crimes against children. … All these years later, the hidden side of Robert Kelly has come to light.”
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“The child, who had no previous sexual experience in his life, had to lie on the floor while the man sitting next to him urinated on him,” Pozolo said, referring to video evidence. “The degrading act is forever captured on video. The abuse is remembered forever.”
In response, Kelly’s defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean described prosecution witnesses as “extortionists,” claiming they had received financial rewards from the disgraced singer. He also labeled some witnesses as “rebels”, pointing out that some had been granted immunity by prosecutors.
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Increased Jail Time
As reported by ExplosionKelly’s sentence follows a 30-year prison sentence handed down to the “Ignition” singer in June after he was convicted in a separate federal case in Brooklyn.
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Allegations that the disgraced musician was the head of a criminal organization that had been involved in bribery, kidnapping, and forced labor led to a conviction on one count of racketeering. Additionally, he was found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking violations under the Mann Act.
Both Kelly’s case in Brooklyn and his current trial in Chicago have many similarities, including witness testimony that claims Kelly recruited them for sexual reasons despite knowing about their young ages. With his Chicago trial apparently over, Kelly still faces sex crime charges in Illinois and Minnesota that will be heard later.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
