Entertainment
R Kelly found guilty of racketeering in sex-trafficking trial after decades of abuse allegations
R Kelly has been convicted in his sex abuse trial (Picture: Antonio PEREZ / POOL / AFP)
R. Kelly has been found guilty of racketeering in his federal sex crimes trial.
The disgraced singer was convicted by a federal jury 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.’
The guilty verdict on the main racketeering count in the indictment was announced in U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly’s courtroom in Brooklyn on Monday.
The 54-year-old was found guilty of sexually abusing women, boys and girls for decades and now faces life in prison.
It came after the jury heard from 50 witnesses over the six-week trial.
The anonymous jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about nine hours across two days before reaching their unanimous verdict.
The singer sat with his lawyers Calvin Scholar and Thomas Farinella as the verdict was revealed (Picture: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
The prosecution presented evidence that Kelly allegedly abused 22 victims, however, the charges laid out in the indictment centered around six alleged victims.
The musician denied all charges as prosecutors showed jurors how Kelly used a network of friends and employees to transport his victims across state lines, control their actions and facilitate the sexual abuse.
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