Veteran musician R. Kelly has been found guilty on six counts of child pornography by a federal jury in Chicago.
According to the Associated Press, jurors in the high-profile trial convicted R. Kelly on Sept. 14 of three counts each of producing child pornography and enticement, while acquitting him of obstruction of justice, one count of production of child porn and three counts of receiving child porn. They reportedly came to the decision after two days of deliberations at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse starting on Sept. 13. following weeks of testimony.
Within the first hour of their latest discussions, they had reportedly already sent the judge, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, three specific questions. Two of the jury’s questions reportedly indicated that they were criticizing claims concerning a prosecution witness identified as “Tracy.”
Tracy previously testified that she was 16 when she met R. Kelly in 1999, as she began working as a record-label intern that year. They then allegedly began engaging in sexual contact, including a dangerous encounter at a Westin hotel, she said. However, the woman filed a lawsuit saying her sexual contact with the entertainer actually began in 2000, when she was 17 – the reported age of consent in Illinois.
Jurors’ third question reportedly related to the nine counts alleging R. Kelly’s misconduct with underage girls. The indictment has alleged that he “did knowingly … persuade, induce, entice and coerce” a minor, while the jury’s directions use “or” rather than “and.”
Judge Leinenweber reportedly said case law supports jurors using “or,” not “and” which means they could contemplate whether R. Kelly actually committed any of those actions, not all of it.
R. Kelly had been charged with 13 counts of production of child pornography, conspiracy to produce child pornography and conspiracy to obstruct justice. His former associates Milton “June” Brown and Derrel McDavid were also accused of attempting to threaten and bribe witnesses in the 2008 Illinois child pornography case in which the musician was acquitted. Court documents indicated that Milton and Brown were accused of allegedly trying to buy back incriminating sex tapes retrieved from R. Kelly’s collection and hide years of alleged sexual abuse.
Both of his co-defendants have been acquitted of all charges.
When reporters asked the entertainer’s lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, how he felt after the guilty verdict, she said, “Mr. Kelly is used to bad news.”
As she stood outside the Chicago court, Bonjean added that her client “still” had “many fights to fight.”
“He’s still got many fights to fight, but what he did say is that he had a sense of relief that this particular case was in the past now,” she said.
The R&B musician is reportedly scheduled to have two more sexual misconduct trials: one in Minnesota and one in state court in Chicago.
