The trial of R&B singer R. Kelly for sexual abuse has begun

The indictment charges him with abusing six women and girls, including the late singer Aaliyah, who was 15 when she married him. This is a case of a predator, this is not a case of a celebrity who likes to party, the prosecutor said.

Aug 19, 2021 - 05:24
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The trial of R&B singer R. Kelly for sexual abuse has begun

R. Kelly is a "predator" who demanded absolute obedience from many women and minors he recruited for sex over two decades, a federal prosecutor said on Wednesday, at the start of a trial for sexual abuse by the famous R&B singer.

Prosecutor Maria Cruz Melendez told the jury in Brooklyn federal court that Kelly, 54, used "lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse" to dominate his victims and that he often filmed them during sexual intercourse.

The indictment charges him with abusing six women and girls, including the late singer Aaliyah, who was 15 when she married him. 

This is a case of a predator,” Melendez said in an introductory speech. "This is not the case with a celebrity who likes to party."

His lawyer Nicole Blank Becker claimed that the indictment has "flaws" and that Kelly is accused by former fans, unhappy because their relationship with him failed.

They knew full well what they were getting into,” she said. "The connections Kelly had with various Jane Does were connections with consent.

Kelly, a three-time Grammy winner known for the songs “I Believe I Can Fly” and “Bump N’ Grind, ”pleaded not guilty to the nine counts of the indictment, which include bribery and blackmail"

The prosecution alleges that Kelly, full name Robert Sylvester Kelly, used his associates to recruit victims, sometimes at concerts. Melendez claims Kelly asked the victims to ask his permission for almost everything, including going to the toilet, and that he blackmailed them by threatening to publish letters that he forced them to write in case they escaped.

Kelly has been in custody for more than two years, and if convicted he could spend decades in prison. If acquitted, he faces more sexual assault charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

By: Olivia J. - Gossip Whispers