In his sex trafficking trial, R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering by a federal jury on Monday.
Prosecutors accused the R&B singer of using his celebrity for sex over a quarter-century.
Kelly, 54, pleaded not guilty to a racketeering charge and eight counts of violating a federal law prohibiting the transportation of people across state lines for prostitution. Kelly is best known for the Grammy-winning hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” which she released in 1996.
Prosecutors tried to paint Kelly as a predator who used his celebrity and attractiveness to entice women and underage girls into his orbit, then subjected them to horrific physical and sexual abuse, some of which he videotaped.
Kelly’s accusers, on the other hand, are liars seeking a payoff from book contracts or the media after their relationships with Kelly or hoped-for music careers never took off, according to defense attorneys.
The panel’s deliberations began on Friday afternoon with the seven-man, five-woman jury.
On Aug. 18, the trial started.
