R. Kelly has been convicted on federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking in the Eastern District of New York.
A jury comprised of seven men and five women found the singer guilty on 9 charges total. This includes one charge of racketeering, which carries 14 underlying acts ranging from bribery and kidnapping to sexual exploitation of a child and sex trafficking, and eight additional counts of sex trafficking in acts that were in direct violation of the Mann Act.
Throughout the course of the five-week trial, the prosecution presented evidence and testimony from 45 witnesses that depicted the R&B singer/songwriter as a predator that used his money, status, and network to access and coerce underaged young women and men into sexual acts and ongoing sexual relationships. Witnesses testified to Kelly committing multiple acts of sexual and physical abuse, testified to engaging in sexual acts with Kelly while far under the age of 18, and acting on his behalf to scout, recruit, and transport teenagers to engage in sexual activity and record pornography with Kelly.
This ruling comes 13 years after Kelly was notoriously acquitted on charges of child pornography in the state of Illinois.
The singer reportedly did not expect the verdict, and as CNN reports, his attorney is considering filing an appeal.
Sentencing will take place on May 4, 2022, and could carry time of up to life in prison.
