Musician R. Kelly is guilty of trafficking in women for sexual purposes and of organized crime, as a New York federal jury admitted on Monday during a high-profile trial against the singer. He faces punishment from 10 years to life imprisonment.
The jury found 54-year-old Kelly guilty on all nine counts, eight of which concerned violations of the so-called Mann Act, which prohibits the importation of women from other states “for the purpose of prostitution or fornication.” One charge is related to organized crime.
The trial is the culmination of years of accusations against the musician, who, according to witnesses, sexually abused young girls – often minors – by treating them like slaves and making them meet his needs. One of his victims testified, among other things, that he kept her locked up for two days without food or drink before raping her. One of his victims was to be another music star, Alia, whom Kelly illegally married when she was 15 years old.
The law provides for punishment ranging from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment for acts committed by a musician. The verdict will not be announced until May 2022, and until then, Kelly will remain behind bars.
However, this is not his last test. He was charged with child pornography by the Chicago Federal Attorney’s Office and was facing separate charges against state investigators in Minnesota and Illinois.
Charges against Grammy-winning Kelly, incl. for the hit “I Believe I Can Fly” – dragged on for many years. In 2002, he was charged with child pornography, although the charges were dropped six years later.
He was detained again only in 2019, shortly after the release of the movie “Survival of R. Kelly”, which featured many victims who testified in court.