Following two days of deliberation, a jury found that R Kelly was guilty on all the charges that he was facing
The US singer R Kelly has been found guilty of exploiting his status to run a scheme to sexually abuse both women and children over a period of two decades.
Eleven accusers of R Kelly, nine of whom were women and two were men, took the stand over the searing six-week trial in order to describe the sexual humiliation and violence the hands of the singer.
Following two days of deliberation, a jury found that Kelly was guilty on all the charges that he was facing.
Sentencing is due on the 4th of May and he could potentially spend the rest of his life locked behind bars.
The jury found R Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was the ringleader of a violent and coercive scheme that had lured both women and children for him to sexually abuse.
This comes after a Tory MP has since apologised for joking about planting “a bomb” in the office of the Labour Party’s female chair. Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds was the target of MP James Gray’s comment.
The singer, who is most famous for the award-winning song I Believe I Can Fly, was also found to have been trafficking women between different US states.
Along with eight counts of sex trafficking, Kelly was found to be guilty of racketeering, a charge that is normally used against organised crime associations.
During the trial prosecutors had detailed how his managers and security guards, as well as other entourage members worked in assisting him in his sex trafficking enterprise.
One woman who had testified that Kelly imprisoned, drugged and raped her said in a written statement after the verdict that she had “been hiding” from Kelly due to threats made against her since she went public with her accusations.
“I’m ready to start living my life free from fear and to start the healing process,” added the woman, identified in court as Sonja.
Another woman who testified in court, Lizette Martinez, said she was “relieved” by the verdict.
“I’m so proud of the women who were able to speak their truths,” she added.
Legal documents have revealed the mental torment that Kelly subjected his victims to. They were not allowed to eat or use the bathroom without his permission, he controlled what clothes they wore and made them call him “Daddy”.
Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represented several victims, told reporters:
“I’ve been practicing law for 47 years. During this time, I’ve pursued many sexual predators who have committed crimes against women and children.
“Of all the predators that I have pursued, Mr Kelly is the worst.”
On Monday, prosecutor Jacquelyn Kasulis said that the jury had sent a message to other powerful men like Kelly at a news conference outside the court.
“No matter how long it takes, the long arm of the law will catch up with you,” said Ms Kasulis.
This comes after the UK government is now considering using the army, in order to help with the fuel deliveries as some petrol brands report that as many as 90% of their sites are now running dry.
The verdict comes 13 years after Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges after a trial in the state of Illinois.
Many of the allegations heard in the trial were first laid out in the 2019 documentary Surviving R Kelly.
Victims were sometimes selected from his concert audiences, or were enticed to join him after being offered help with their fledgling music careers after chance encounters with the singer.
But after joining his entourage, they found that they were subjected to strict rules and aggressively punished if they violated what his team had dubbed “Rob’s rules”.
