54 Old R. Kelly has been held legally accountable for his sexual abuse allegations.
After 2 days of deliberation, the N.Y jury consisting of seven men and five women found the R&B singer guilty on all counts in sex trafficking and racketeering case.
R. Kelly was found guilty on one count of racketeering and 8 counts of violating the Mann Act, which is an interstate sex trafficking law.
He is accused of sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, and more disturbing crimes.
According to CNN R. Kelly did not have any reaction to the verdict when it was read in court and according to his attorney, Kelly was not expecting this verdict.
Moments after the verdict was read, Kelly’s attorney Deveraux Cannick said outside of court that the government “cherry-picked” evidence to support its narrative.
“You didn’t get to see what we saw in terms of the discovery.
You didn’t get to see all the inconsistencies,” Cannick said.
“We said in our summation that the government cherry-picked their version that they thought would support the continuation of the narrative.”
Cannick continued, “Why would he expect this verdict given all the inconsistencies that we saw.”
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An attorney for Kelly said they are considering filing an appeal and are disappointed in the verdict, per CNN.
“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,” acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis told reporters on Monday.
“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.”
According to Yahoo, Kelly has long denied misconduct allegations against him, was accused of sexually abusing women, girls and boys.
Prosecutors argued Kelly “used lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse to dominate his victims” and that his inner circle “served as enablers for his criminal conduct” while he ran his criminal enterprise.
The government claimed Kelly took advantage of his fame to recruit his victims as many were aspiring singers and fans.
The nearly six-week trial saw 11 accusers take the stand against Kelly, six of whom were minors when the alleged abuse took place. Two were male.
He was directly charged for crimes related to just six women who formed the government’s case, one being the late singer Aaliyah.
Prosecutors claimed the two were illegally married when he was 27 and his protégé was 15.
R. Kelly still faces state and federal indictments in two other states on similar charges. He will be sentenced in Brooklyn federal court on May 4, 2022.
Twitter reacted to the verdict:
Multiple generations of Chicago women and girls have had to face this menace with no escape. Every black girl I know who grew up here has an R. Kelly story. EVERY ONE. I am glad those who have felt pain and faced trauma for DECADES may find peace with this verdict.
— Britt Julious ✨ text TIFFANY to 97979 (@britticisms) September 27, 2021
and
“I’ve been practicing law for 47 years. During this time, I’ve pursued many sexual predators who have committed crimes against women and children. Of all the predators that I have pursued, Mr. Kelly is the worst.” -Victims’ attorney following R. Kelly guilty verdict pic.twitter.com/Q4YXofWjpW
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 27, 2021
and
As I just discussed on air, juries often deliberate for weeks in RICO/racketeering cases. The fact that the jury deliberated LESS THAN 1 full day before convicting R. Kelly on all counts says that the jurors fully & firmly believed every victim who testified. #BelieveVictims
— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) September 27, 2021
and
“The last 20 years have been absolutely exhausting for me. It’s been a lonely road.” All my love to Sparkle and the other Black women who sounded the alarm on R. Kelly when nobody would listen. https://t.co/aZRaHuORY3
— Evette Dionne (@freeblackgirl) September 27, 2021
and
Acting US Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis just spoke outside of Brooklyn federal court.
“Today’s guilty verdict forever brands R. Kelly as a predator who used his fame and fortune to prey on the young and vulnerable.” pic.twitter.com/FMhvvF6BMK
— Sonia Moghe (@soniamoghe) September 27, 2021
R.Kelly shared the following on FB:
