R. Kelly found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking

R. Kelly found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking
By Noah Garfinkel

Singer R. Kelly on Monday was found guilty of racketeering and eight counts of violating an anti-sex trafficking law, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Sexual misconduct allegations have surrounded R. Kelly's career, including a child sexual abuse image case in 2008 where he was acquitted. Multiple other victims have come forward to speak about the abuse in recent years.

  • "This is by far the highest-profile, post-Me Too conviction involving sexual abuse that we’ve seen in the music industry," per the New York Times' Joe Coscarelli.

The big picture: The indictment accused R. Kelly of "directing his employees to procure women for sex and sexually abused numerous women over the span of nearly 25 years," Insider reports.

  • Many of the women were young teenagers when the abuse began.
  • Many witnesses accused Kelly of "[making the girls] have sex with him and his other 'girlfriends' whenever he wanted, often filming the encounters and directing their every move," from the the 90s onward per Buzzfeed News.
  • He also knowingly spread genital herpes to these women and refused to wear condoms during these sexual encounters per Buzzfeed.

Catch up quick: Kelly was convincted on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a federal law that addresses sex trafficking. Racketeering is typically associated with organized crime, per the New York Times.

  • Jurors deliberated for just nine hours before reaching the verdict.

What's next: The singer now faces the possibility of decades in prison. Kelly's sentencing is scheduled for May 4th, 2022.





September 27, 2021 at 10:36PM
via Axios https://ift.tt/2Y5DnlJ

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