R. Kelly has been found guilty of charges accusing him of sexually abusing girls, women and boys for more than 20 years.
On Monday (Sept. 27), the jury announced their verdict. Kelly has been convicted of one count of racketeering, with 14 underlying acts that included sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, kidnapping and sex trafficking charges. Additionally, he was also convicted of eight counts of violations of the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law that makes it illegal to move anyone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”
“Of all the predators I have pursued, however, Mr. Kelly is the worst,” attorney Gloria Allred, who represented many of Kelly’s victims, said following the announcement of the verdict. “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.”
As REVOLT previously reported, the jury, which consisted of seven men and five women, resumed deliberations after listening to 50 witnesses over the span of 23 days. They reportedly asked for clarification of an Illinois law for one of the racketeering counts against Kelly, according to Chicago Tribune reporter Jason Meisner.
“The jury’s note said the use of the words ‘and/or’ in the indictment vs. Illinois statute ‘is making a clear decision difficult,’” Meisner tweeted. “They also asked for transcripts of testimony by Kelly employees Tom Arnold and Nicholas Williams.”
Of the 50 witnesses that took the stand, several of them detailed abuse by the disgraced crooner. Sonja testified that the “Step In The Name Of Love” singer starved her for several days and then raped her while she was unconscious. Once she woke up, she claimed she saw Kelly “doing up his pants in the corner” and she noticed that there was “some wet stuff” in between her legs. Her underwear was lying nearby on a couch and she believed it was removed when she became unconscious.
Kelly’s legal problems are far from over. He is still facing federal charges in Illinois and criminal charges in Minnesota. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4.