R. Kelly Sex Trial Ends. Will Jurors Find Him Guilty Or Innocent?
Well looks like R. Kelly's sex trafficking and racketeering trial is winding down. Wednesday (September 22nd) jurors began deliberations and that means the former Pied Piper of R&B could learn his fate very soon. Is he innocent or guilty? We shall see soon enough. AllHipHop.com reports closing arguments wrapped up this week, following six weeks of witness testimony.
Also this week the prosecution's Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Geddes told jurors she was confident that the government had delivered on its promise to prove the 54-year old singer was running a network of exploiting young women for sex. Geddes went on to say: “The defendant set rules, lots of them, and he demanded complete obedience,” she continued. “For many years, what happened in the defendant’s world stayed in the defendant’s world. But no longer.”
R. Kelly declined to take the stand in his own defense before closing arguments got underway. Instead, he had former employees and various business associates testify on his behalf. Witnesses made an effort to discredit three decades of allegations of sexual abuse against women, girls, and boys. All five defense witnesses claimed to never see the R&B sexually assault anyone and they knew nothing of racketeering.
In stark contrast, the prosecution called over 40 witnesses to the stand. All claimed the singer sexually abused them and punished them when they didn't do what he said. Many claimed they were flown to meet him for sex at concerts, while others claimed to be sexually assaulted at his house parties.
As previously reported the 54-year-old former star denies all charges and pleaded not guilty to racketeering as well. R. Kelly has admitted to having sexual relationships with some of the alleged victims. However, he is adamantly denying sexual abuse allegations and says his accusers were groupies.