A jury has finally decided in Robert Kelly’s case.
The singer was found guilty. He was convicted by a federal judge in New York for racketeering conspiracy, alleging he headed a criminal enterprise that employed agents, runners, bodyguards and others to lure and trap girls and young women to satisfy his sexually predatory desires, The Chicago Tribune reports.
The jury consisted of seven men & five women. The trial began on August 18. There were a total of 50 witnesses. More than half a dozen witnesses testified against R. Kelly and said they were abused by the singer when they were underaged. Males and females told stories of meeting Kelly, one of his associates after a concert, or the infamous McDonalds. They alleged the singer made promises for their singing career in exchange for sexual favors.
One witness alleged the singer choked her until she lost consciousness, another was pressured into having an abortion, and romantic partners claim the singer knowingly gave them herpes. The most notable witness was the Aaliyah ones. A former assistant for Kelly said he helped the singer marry Aaliyah when she was 15, and Kelly was 27 at the time. The marriage ultimately was annulled a year after it took place. Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001.
Two women accused the “Bump N Grind” singer of rape. Multiple witnesses said they were filmed in “humiliating sexual situations.” BBC points out; some victims were forced to write letters defending Kelly and possibly lying for him. One witness said,“He wanted us to include letters saying that we had stolen money from him, that we had stolen watches from him, that [family members had molested us], that we had been abused and neglected by family members, and so forth.”
Check out a news report:
Kelly is facing a separate trial in Chicago on child pornography and obstruction charges, in addition to sex abuse charges in Illinois and Minnesota. He could face decades in prison. The sentencing for this case begins May 4, 2022.