R Kelly: Singer found guilty of all charges, here's how many years he faces in jail
Disgraced music star R Kelly was found guilty of racketeering as his trial came to an end following six weeks of graphic "sexual abuse" testimony on Monday, September 27. Kelly, 54, was convicted on all nine counts including racketeering and violations of the Mann Act, which prohibits the transport of 'any woman or girl' across state lines for any 'immoral purpose'. A jury of seven men and five women reached the unanimous verdict after deliberating for about nine hours across two days.
Jurors sent the judge a note asking for transcripts of testimony by two former Kelly employees and for legal clarification. Deliberations began at the federal courthouse in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday, September 24 before the panel of seven men and five women took the weekend off. MEAWW has reported extensively on the allegations against the Grammy-winning singer which surfaced first in 2020.
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R Kelly has been held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago since July 2019 without bail. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on federal charges alleging additional sex crimes, with federal prosecutors in New York and Chicago charging Kelly with kidnapping, forced labor, child sexual exploitation, child pornography production, and obstruction of justice. From the beginning of Kelly's month-long trial, which began on August 18, prosecutors painted him as a 'predator' who used his fame and a cadre of employees to prey on young victims. "This case is not about a celebrity who likes to party a lot, " Assistant US Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez said in her opening statement last month. "This case is about a predator, " she added.
The rapper reportedly "didn't say much of anything" after the verdict was announced, but his attorney Deveraux Cannick told reporters. "He was shocked."
Kelly, best known for the 1996 hit "I Believe I Can Fly," pleaded not guilty to all charges. The singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, did not take the stand in his own defense.
"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 US Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis said in a statement in court. "To the victims in this case, your voices were heard, and justice was finally served. We hope that today's verdict brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victims," Kasulis added.
How many years in prison is R Kelly facing?
Kelly is charged in New York, Illinois and Minnesota. He is also charged under the MANN act. If convicted, the disgraced singer could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. In addition to that, Kelly faces anywhere from 10 years to life in prison if convicted of the federal charges. The sentencing is scheduled in New York for May 4.