
R Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial.
R Kelly has been convicted by a US federal jury in his sex trafficking trial, where prosecutors accused the R&B singer of exploiting his stardom over 25 years to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex.
Jurors in Brooklyn federal court deliberated for a little more than one day before voting to convict the 54-year-old Kelly on all nine counts he faced, after a five-and-a-half week trial.
Kelly kept his head down as the verdict was read, with his face shielded by a white mask.
JUST IN: Jurors have found R&B singer R. Kelly guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Kelly could face decades in prison at sentencing. https://t.co/FMOkSEH9N3
— CNN (@CNN) September 27, 2021
One woman watching from an overflow courtroom cried as the verdict was read.
Deveraux Cannick, a lawyer for Kelly, told reporters outside the courtroom that the defence was "disappointed".
Kelly's sentencing was scheduled for May 4, 2022.
The singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is one of the most prominent people tried on sex charges during the #MeToo movement, which amplified accusations that had dogged him since the early 2000s.
Many accusations against Kelly were included in the January 2019 Lifetime documentary Surviving R Kelly.
Several witnesses testified that Kelly instilled fear if his victims did not fulfill his every need, sexual and otherwise.
Jurors heard how Kelly would compel victims to follow "Rob's rules," including that they call him "Daddy" and get permission to eat or go to the bathroom.
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