What was r kelly convicted of

Kelly was hit with two separate federal indictments in Illinois and Brooklyn. Combined, the allegations depicted an organised effort from the star and his associates to recruit and transport underage girls over state lines for illegal sexual purposes, including the production of child sex abuse images, as well as conspiracy to obstruct justice by destroying evidence and bribing or threatening witnesses. Appearing in court in New York, the star pleaded not guilty , but was denied bail on the grounds that he posed a flight risk.

Days later, prosecutors in Minnesota filed prostitution charges against the star, meaning he faced criminal cases in three US states. The star's application for bail was denied by a federal judge in Brooklyn.

Magistrate Judge Steven L Tiscione said he was "extremely troubled" by the potential for witness tampering. Kelly's Chicago trial was delayed by six months , after prosecutors seized more than electronic devices including smartphones, iPads and hard drives from a storage facility holding the star's tour equipment.

Prosecutors also updated the charges against the star, to "add yet another victim" to the list of allegations. The new victim, referred to as "Minor Six", met Kelly in the late s at the age of 14 or In August, three of Kelly's associates were charged with attempting to intimidate, harass or pay off alleged victims in the racketeering case.

Another was threatened with the release of sexually explicit photos, and a third woke up to find her car had been set alight in her driveway.

The charges, filed in New York, did not indicate whether Kelly authorised the actions - and the star's lawyer denied any involvement. Towards the end of August, Kelly was attacked in his sleep by a fellow inmate in Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Centre. The star's lawyer called for his immediate release, saying "the government cannot ensure his safety".

However, the request - along with numerous other attempts to get Kelly released on bail - was denied. Two months before his trial was due to begin, Kelly's long-term lawyers asked to withdraw from the case.

Steve Greenberg and Michael Leonard said it was "impossible" to work alongside a pair of new lawyers the star had hired. In the last pre-trial hearing before Kelly's trial, US District Judge Ann M Donnelly made a series of rulings to narrow down what evidence could be shown to jurors.

During the hearing, she asked one of the singer's lawyers whether they denied the star had sexual relations with Aaliyah while she was underage. Read more about the trial:. On 27 September, following two days of deliberation, the jury found the US star guilty on all nine counts. Sentencing is due on 4 May and the disgraced year-old could end up spending decades behind bars. Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represented several victims, told reporters: "I've been practising law for 47 years.

During this time, I've pursued many sexual predators who have committed crimes against women and children. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment. Kelly found guilty in sex trafficking trial. The testimony that convicted R. R Kelly trial: A look at the key moments. Victims' lawyer: R. Kelly worst predator I've pursued. Image source, Getty Images. R Kelly has faced accusations of sexual misconduct since the s. Here is a history of the accusations against him.

Kelly continued to release successful songs, and win major awards, as accusations accumulated around him. June Charged over child abuse videos. Buzzfeed's report prompted further allegations.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kelly in tearful sex abuse charges interview. After two days of deliberation, the jury found the US star guilty on all nine charges he was facing. Sentencing is due on 4 May and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. The jury found Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was the ringleader of a violent and coercive scheme that lured women and children for him to sexually abuse.

Along with eight counts of sex trafficking, Kelly was found guilty of racketeering - a charge normally used against organised crime associations. During the trial, prosecutors detailed how his managers, security guards and other entourage members worked to assist him in his criminal enterprise. The court also heard how Kelly had illegally obtained paperwork to marry Aaliyah when she was 15 in , seven years before the singer died in a plane crash.

The certificate, leaked at the time, listed Aaliyah's age as The marriage was annulled months later. One woman who testified that Kelly imprisoned, drugged and raped her said in a written statement after the verdict that she had "been hiding" from Kelly due to threats made against her since she went public with her accusations. Another woman who testified in court, Lizette Martinez, said she was "relieved" by the verdict.

Legal documents have revealed the mental torment that Kelly subjected his victims to. They were not allowed to eat or use the bathroom without his permission, he controlled what clothes they wore and made them call him "Daddy". Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represented several victims, told reporters: "I've been practising law for 47 years.

During this time, I've pursued many sexual predators who have committed crimes against women and children. At a news conference outside the court on Monday, prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulis said that the jury had sent a message to other powerful men like Kelly. The verdict comes 13 years after Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges after a trial in the state of Illinois. Many of the allegations heard in the trial were first laid out in the documentary Surviving R Kelly.

Victims were sometimes selected from his concert audiences, or were enticed to join him after being offered help with their fledgling music careers after chance encounters with the singer. But after joining his entourage, they found that they were subjected to strict rules and aggressively punished if they violated what his team had dubbed "Rob's rules". This was a swift decision by the jury of seven men and five women. They took nine hours over two days to reach a verdict, meaning they must have been fairly united in their examination of the evidence.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 Other international helplines can be found at www. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on In the US, Rainn offers support on In Australia, support is available at Respect Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio. The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and accessible to all.

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