R. Kelly was convicted by a federal jury on Monday in his sex trafficking case, where prosecutors accused the R&B singer of exploiting his fame and position to lure women and underage girls into coercive sexual activity for decades.
The singer, full name Robert Sylvester Kelly, is one of the most prominent people in the entertainment field to be tried during the #MeToo movement, which amplified accusations that had dogged him since the early 2000s.
Jurors in Brooklyn federal court deliberated for a little more than a day before voting to convict the 54-year-old Kelly on all nine counts he faced.
Eleven accusers – nine women and two men – took the stand over the searing six-week trial to describe the sexual humiliation and violence at his hands.
Along with eight counts of sex trafficking, Kelly was found guilty of racketeering, as prosecutors detailed how his entourage of handlers, managers, security guards worked to assist him in his criminal behavior.
One woman testified that Kelly imprisoned, drugged and raped her and said in a written statement after the verdict that she had “been hiding” from Kelly due to threats made against her since she came out with her accusations.
Many of the allegations heard in the trial were first laid out in the 2019 documentary Surviving R Kelly.
Kelly kept his head down and was silent as the verdict was read, his face shielded by a white mask.
Kelly is separately facing trial in Chicago on child pornography and obstruction charges, as well as separate sex abuse charges Illinois and Minnesota.
The singer could possibly face life in prison at his sentencing early next year.
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