R. Kelly Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse, Child Pornography
The 55-year-old singer on Wednesday was convicted of multiple child pornography and child sex abuse charges in the second federal trial looking into sexual assault allegations against him, according to the Associated Press.
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It should be recalled that in June, the singer received a 30-year prison sentence from a Brooklyn judge.
The Chicago court proceedings, in which two of his associates were also defendants, followed the federal trial held last year in New York, where Kelly faced racketeering and sex-trafficking charges stemming from nearly 30 years of abuse allegations from women and minors.
After that guilty verdict, R. Kelly became one of the most high-profile figures in the entertainment industry to face legal repercussions for sexual misconduct allegations that came to light or resurfaced as a result of the #MeToo movement.
The singer was found guilty on six of the 13 counts against him: three for coercing minors into sexual activity, and three for producing videos of child sex abuse.
He was acquitted of conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation and was not found guilty of the remaining enticement and pornography charges. Kelly’s co-defendants, Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown, were cleared of all charges.
Speaking from the lobby of Chicago’s Dirksen Federal Courthouse, Kelly’s defense attorney Jennifer Bonjean said they were “not celebrating any win,” but that they were happy the jury returned seven not-guilty counts in a 13-count indictment. As for Kelly’s reaction, Bonjean said he was relieved to have the trial behind him.
“Mr Kelly is used to bad news,” she said. “He has a 30-year sentence that is excessive, in my opinion. He still has many fights to fight.”
