On Monday, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, found R&B singer R. Kelly guilty of all counts in his racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
Multiple witnesses accused Kelly, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, of grooming and exploiting young women and men for his “own sexual gratification.”
The 54-year-old man was also charged with running a sex cult by trafficking people across state lines and bribing an official to help him marry the late R&B singer Aaliyah when she was a minor.
In the federal case in the New York’s Eastern District, he faced nine counts, including one count of racketeering.
Kelly also faced 14 underlying acts, comprising kidnapping, bribery, sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of a child, as well as eight additional counts on violating the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law, for allegedly coercing and transporting victims across state borders.
The Brooklyn jury, made up of seven men and five women, began deliberations on Friday, September 24, after hearing 50 witnesses during the trial –only five of them testified for the defense.
He was described as stoic and emotionless during Monday’s court session. However, he never took the stand and was only seen shaking his head “no” at some statements against him.
Attorney Gloria Allred, who represented many of his victims, said Monday: “Of all the predators I have pursued… Mr. Kelly is the worst. R. Kelly thought he could get away with this, but he didn’t. I am very proud of my clients who agreed to testify in this case.”
In final allegations last week, Assistant US Attorney Elizabeth Geddes said Kelly had used lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse to dominate his victims, adding that he took advantage of his “money and public persona to hide his crimes in plain sight.”
The singer could be sentenced to decades in prison. However, his lawyer said that he was considering filing an appeal as was “disappointed” in the verdict.
It was not the first time that Kelly faced legal trouble. Thirteen years ago, he was charged with 21 counts of child pornography but was cleared and left the five-week trial a free man.
