R. Kelly Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse and Child Pornography
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Robert Sylvester Kelly, better known by his stage name R. Kelly, was found guilty of a number of child pornography and sex abuse charges by a federal jury in Chicago on Wednesday. This comes after Kelly was already sentenced to 30 years in prison by a New York federal jury in June for racketeering and sex trafficking. This may not be Kelly’s final time in court, as he still faces charges from Chicago and Minneapolis state courts.
Kelly, a highly popular R&B singer in the 1990s and into the 2000s, faced similar charges in a 2008 trial, but was acquitted after a key victim declined to testify. The anonymous victim, who now testifies that she was the girl seen in a sexually explicit video taken by Kelly, admitted to lying to a grand jury previously to protect Kelly.
Kelly’s legal team sought to poke holes in the prosecution’s case, casting doubt on the true age of the girl seen in the video that was the focal point of the trial. Additionally, they accused witnesses testifying against Kelly of lying in pursuit of fame and money.
Coverage of the trial and the jury’s decision was consistent across the spectrum. The Associated Press (Lean Left Bias) included an anecdote about Kelly smiling at fans present at the trial. Newsweek (Center Bias) noted that a juror had to be replaced after suffering an apparent panic attack.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
R. Kelly found guilty: R&B singer convicted on multiple counts of child porn, enticementChicago jurors on Wednesday convicted R. Kelly on multiple counts.
The "I Believe I Can Fly" singer, who is currently serving a 30-year sentence in New York after he was convicted in 2021 of sexually abusing young fans, was found guilty on three counts of child pornography and three counts of child enticement.
Kelly, 55, faced 13 total charges, including obstructing justice by paying off a minor victim and witnesses in a Chicago case filed in 2002, producing and receiving child pornography and coercing minors into engaging in illegal sexual...
From the Left
R. Kelly convicted on child pornography charges in second federal trial verdictR. Kelly, the once high-flying R&B star-turned-convicted sex offender, was convicted Wednesday by a federal jury in Chicago of another set of sex crimes, including several child pornography charges.
Kelly, 55, was found guilty on three counts of child pornography but was acquitted of a conspiracy to obstruct justice charge accusing him fixing his state child pornography trial in 2008.
The decision comes after a federal judge in New York sentenced Kelly to 30 years in prison in June for racketeering and sex trafficking. Based on that sentence, he won’t be eligible...
From the Center
R. Kelly found guilty on multiple counts in sexual abuse trialR&B singer R. Kelly was found guilty on Wednesday on multiple charges of child pornography and luring underage girls to have sex with him but not guilty of obstructing a 2008 state case that ended with his acquittal.
In his latest trial, Kelly - whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly - was found guilty by a jury on six out of 13 counts, prosecutors said.
He was found guilty of three child pornography counts and three counts of enticing minors for sex, but acquitted of seven other charges that...
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