It’s over! R. Kelly found guilty
Written by Vibe Houston Staff on September 27, 2021
On Monday, multi-award winning singer R. Kelly was found guilty on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a sex trafficking law.
Prosecutors say the guilty verdict forever brands Kelly as a predator, who used his fame and fortune to prey on the young, the vulnerable and the voiceless in a sordid web of sex abuse, exploitation and humiliation.
Attorney Gloria Allred said Kelly is the worst predator she has ever pursued.
Allred said Kelly wanted the jurors to believe these were May-October relationships, but instead, they were clear cases of crimes against children and some adults.
Fifty prosecution and defense witnesses took the stand during the five-week trial. Many of his victims were referred to as “Jane Doe.”
Prosecutors presented evidence for Jane Doe #1, the late singer Aaliyah, whom Kelly married when she was only 15 and he was 27.
The verdict comes 13 years after Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges at an Illinois state trial.
Kelly now faces decades in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for May 4. His attorneys say they are considering filing an appeal.
