R. Kelly Has Been Found Guilty Of Racketeering And Sex Trafficking

Well, sadly for R. Kelly it looks like his lawyer declaring him as the Martin Luther King, Jr. of our time didn’t move the jury. Because the jury didn’t immediately decide he’s not guilty and use all their energy on petitioning the government to declare R. Kelly’s birthday as National R. Kelly Day. Instead, they found him guilty of all charges. So anyone who had a dream of seeing 54-year-old R. Kelly rot in prison, may see that dream come true.

R. Kelly was facing nine charges including one count of racketeering, with 14 underlying acts that included sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery, and various sex trafficking charges. The trial, which went down in Brooklyn, New York, took about a month with the prosecution calling many, many witnesses who all testified that yes, R. Kelly is a disgusting predator of the highest degree. R. Kelly’s team only called five witnesses and he didn’t take the stand, and probably because his lawyers knew that him busting out a crocodile tears-filled melodramatic tantrum in front of the jury wouldn’t go over well.

The jury began deliberating on Friday afternoon and after taking the weekend off, they deliberated a bit this morning before reaching a verdict. Why do I have a feeling that those “deliberations” went more like this, “Okay, so the fucker’s guilty, right? Okay great, so what do we want for breakfast? Let’s go with something with MSG since MSG needs some vindication!” The jury, made up of five women and seven men, found him guilty on all counts. via NPR:

After more than 25 years of accusations and a New York federal court trial that lasted seven weeks, R&B singer R. Kelly has been found guilty of charges including sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, racketeering and sex trafficking involving five victims.

Kelly sat absolutely still as the foreperson gave the jury’s verdict to Judge Ann Donnelly.

There were fourteen underlying acts associated with the racketeering charge. The jury found that the government had proven twelve of those acts, involving five victims: the singer Aaliyah as well as women named Stephanie, Jerhonda Pace, Jane and Stephanie. Three acts associated with an alleged victim named Sonja were not proven. (Most alleged victims went by their first names or pseudonyms.) The government needed proof of only two of the racketeering acts for a guilty charge.

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York successfully proved to a jury of seven men and five women that Kelly had been the head of a criminal enterprise, whose purpose was to lure girls, boys and women to the R&B singer for his sexual gratification.

If you’re popping the champagne, save a bottle for May 4 because that’s when R. Kelly will be sentenced. He’s facing ten years to life in prison. R. Kelly’s lawyer truly summoned a “good luck with that, bitch” from all of us by telling reporters that they are considering filing an appeal. And R. Kelly’s time in the courtroom is far from over because he’s still facing federal charges in Chicago, and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota. As for the jury, I’m sure they’ll be popping bottles too. Specifically, bottles of brain bleach to cleanse their minds of all the dark-sided horribleness they had to listen to.

Pic: AP