Facing the music. R. KellyDuring a Chicago trial, on Wednesday September 14, he was convicted of multiple charges of child pornography.
According to the, the rapper Robert Sylvester Kelly, 55, was found guilty of three counts child pornography. Chicago Tribune. Each charge carries a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, according to the outlet.
Kelly was also found guilty on three out of five counts of enticement to a minor to engage with criminal sexual activity.
“There was a mixed verdict, but we won more counts than we lost,” Kelly’s attorney Jennifer BonjeanFollowing the verdict, outside court. “If this jury concluded that he was guilty on the first three counts, would they care enough to consider the evidence on the rest? They proved that they did. They did their job. They looked at each count separately.”
On Wednesday, the “Ignition” musician was acquitted on seven counts, one of which was a child pornography count. WGN9 reported that the other six were: one charge of sexual exploitation and one of aggravated criminal sex abuse, and four conspiracy charges.
Kelly was charged with 13 counts of producing and distributing child pornography, encouraging minors to engage criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and conspiring to obstruct justice before the trial. The jury took approximately 10 hours to reach a verdict on Wednesday.
Their deliberation began after a three-week trial, which consisted of a testimony from one of Kelly’s alleged sexual assault victims. The woman, who requested anonymity, claimed that Kelly abused her at 14 and that she tapped her.
The woman’s alleged interaction with Kelly was one of five reports that prosecutors used to convict the Chicago native. The “I Believe I Can Fly” rapper was accused of making explicit videos with four of his five victims in the 1990s. His sentencing date is yet to be set.
Kelly’s codefendants — former accountant and business manager Derrel McDavidFormer assistant Milton Brown — were acquitted on all charges after pleading not guilty.
McDavid was initially charged with conspiracy, receiving child pornography, and obstruction of justice. Brown was also charged with conspiring to receive child pornography.
The “Bump n’ Grind” singer already faces three decades in prison following his conviction on racketeering charges in New York. Kelly was sentenced to 30 year imprisonment in June after a jury found him guilty on racketeering charges. There were 14 underlying acts, including sexual exploitation of a child and bribery.
At the time, he was also convicted on eight counts of violations of the Mann Act, which is a sex trafficking law that prohibits the transport of “any woman or girl” across state lines for “immoral purpose.”
Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656 HOPE (4673) if you or someone you know has been abused sexually. A trained staff member can provide confidential, judgement-free support along with local resources to aid in healing and recovery.
