R. Kelly Found Guilty on All Counts in Racketeering and Sex Trafficking Case

R. Kelly has been found guilty on all counts in his federal sex crimes trial in New York City.

After nine hours of deliberation beginning Friday afternoon, a jury — made up of seven men and five women — convicted the disgraced singer Monday of racketeering and eight violations of an anti-sex-trafficking law called The Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport anyone across state lines for any immoral purpose.

The musician faces the possibility of decades in prison.

Following six weeks of testimony featuring 50 witnesses, 45 from the prosecution, prosecutors argued that Kelly allegedly ran a decades-long scheme — involving assistants, bodyguards, and others — “to target, groom and exploit girls, boys, and young women for his own sexual gratification.”

Kelly himself never took the stand.

Among the various allegations against Kelly, witnesses testified that they were locked in rooms, had to ask permission to leave or use the bathroom, and perform acts with human waste.

Others alleged that Kelly gave them herpes without disclosing he had a sexually transmitted disease.

Kelly’s marriage to the now-late Aaliyah was also discussed, and how a government worker was allegedly bribed to get her a fake ID — so Kelly could marry the 15-year-old because he feared he had gotten her pregnant.

However, numerous witnesses for the defense, including former employees and associates, testified that they never saw Kelly abuse anyone.

Additionally, the defense argued that the accusers allegedly sought to take advantage of Kelly’s celebrity.

Following the verdict, defense attorney Deveraux Cannick told press, “He was not anticipating this verdict. They [are] totally ignor[ing] the inconsistencies that all of these witnesses gave.”

Cannick added, “I don’t know if I’m more disappointed in the jury’s verdict or the government’s actions in this case. I am sure that we are going to appeal.”

Kelly — who was arrested July 2019 in Chicago for multiple federal sex crimes in two different states — pleaded not guilty to racketeering, which has 14 underlying crimes associated with it.

According to New York Times writer Troy Closson, Kelly faces another federal case in Chicago, as well as state sex crime charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

Thirteen years ago, Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges at an Illinois state trial.

Kelly has vehemently denied all of the allegations against him.