R. Kelly was convicted by a US federal jury on Monday of all nine charges, including racketeering, in his sex trafficking trial. The racketeering charge gave the prosecutors the chance to use evidence that might otherwise have been too old to prosecute.
A jury consisting of seven men and five women found the singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, guilty on their second day of deliberations. His sentencing is scheduled for 4 May.
In a trial lasting five and a half weeks, eleven accusers (nine women and two men) took the stand to describe the sexual humiliation and violence they experienced at his hands.
The jury found that Kelly was the ringleader of a violent and coercive scheme that lured in women and children for him to sexually abuse. The singer was also found to have trafficked women between different US states and produced child pornography.
During the trial it was revealed that Kelly used his managers, security guards and other entourage members to assist him in his criminal enterprise.
Kelly has repeatedly denied the allegations and his lawyers attempted to paint him as the victim of jilted ex-lovers. They also said that they would be “considering” an appeal and that they are “disappointed with the verdict”.
Kelly still faces federal charges in Chicago on child pornography and obstruction and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota.
Sources: BBC, MSN
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