R. Kelly Found GUILTY On ALL Counts In Sex-Trafficking Trial

R. Kelly is facing major prison time after being found guilty on all nine counts in his sex-trafficking trial. He will be sentenced on May 4.

The jury consisting of seven men and five women came to the unanimous verdict in Brooklyn on Monday, with the R&B singer facing 10 years to life in prison for his horrific crimes. For those who haven’t been following the case or the five-week trial, R. Kelly had been accused of sexually abusing women and children (both boys and girls), as well as racketeering and violating the Mann Act, which bans interstate sex trafficking.

Jurors came to their decision after being shown not only audio and video evidence that was NOT allowed to be made public or seen by journalists, but additionally heard from five prosecutors and 45 prosecution witnesses. This included victims who were only identified as “Jane Doe” 1, 2, 3, etc.; Aaliyah was “Jane Doe 1” during this trial. In relation to just the singer, the jury of 12 heard from many people who were witnesses to their controversial 1994 marriage — when R. Kelly was 27 and the rising singer was 15.

Stephanie, a then 17-year-old in 1999, shared her story during testimony, too, recalling when the Chicago-native invited her to his studio.

“I remember him asking me my age. When I said I was 17, he said it was fine.”

She then explained how the artist had sexually abused her, even recording them for having sex. She stopped speaking with him not long after they celebrated her 18th birthday together.

Another woman, identified as Sonja, also testified how she was invited to Chicago to interview him at his studio in 2003. Only 21 at the time and working as a radio intern, she remembered being put in a room by one of his employees, only to realize it was “locked from the outside.” Sonja remembered being held captive for several days, only being let out occasionally to go to the bathroom and shower. She also told the court about losing consciousness after eating her first meal in days, and when she awoke, she saw R. Kelly adjusting his pants.

“I was sexually assaulted. There was something in me that wasn’t wanted.”

Of course, these are just a handful of the accusations of assault levied against the hitmaker.

An attorney representing the 54-year-old said they are disappointed in the verdict and are considering filing an appeal. His lawyer Deveraux Cannick said outside the courthouse on Monday:

“You didn’t get to see what we saw in terms of the discovery. You didn’t get to see all the inconsistencies. We said in our summation that the government cherry-picked their version that they thought would support the continuation of the narrative. Why would he expect this verdict given all the inconsistencies that we saw?”

Acting US Attorney from the Eastern District Jacquelyn M. Kasulis also spoke out after today’s ruling, telling those outside the court:

“Today’s guilty verdict forever brands R. Kelly as a predator, who used his fame and fortune to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless for his own sexual gratification. [He is] a predator who used his inner circle to ensnare underage girls and young men and women for decades, in a sordid web of sex abuse, exploitation and humiliation. To the victims in this case, your voices were heard and justice was finally served.”

She concluded:

“This conviction would not have been possible without the bravery and resilience of R. Kelly’s victims. I applaud their courage in revealing in open court, the painful, intimate and horrific details of their lives with him. No one deserves what they experienced at his hands or the threats or harassment they faced about telling the truth about what happened to them. We hope that today’s verdict bring some measure of comfort and closure to the victims.”

Our thoughts are with Kelly’s victims as they relive the trauma, but at least it now seems justice will be served.

We’ll continue to keep you updated on the other cases against the star in other states.

[Image via WENN.]