NEW YORK: US prosecutors on Monday rested their sex trafficking case against R. Kelly, after a month of often disturbing and graphic testimony from people who accused the R&B star of sexually abusing women and girls.
Prosecutors have sought to portray the 54-year-old Kelly as a hot-tempered predator who exploited his fame to draw fans and aspiring singers into his circle, only to coerce them into obeying his rigid rules and punish them if they failed.
Defense lawyers have tried to portray Kelly's accusers as fans who felt jilted after being unable to capitalize on the singer's fame, and questioned why they failed to leave Kelly sooner or go to the police, and waited years to come forward.
U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly suggested that the jurors in Brooklyn federal court could begin deliberating as soon as Thursday.
That suggests that Kelly's defense, which began on Monday and which his lawyers said may include about six witnesses, will likely not include testimony from Kelly himself.
Kelly is not required to testify, and would likely be subjected to days of questioning from prosecutors if he took the witness stand.
The singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering and eight counts of illegally transporting people across state lines for prostitution.
Prosecutors have accused Kelly of grooming and preying on women and girls as far back as the mid-1990s, when his music including the 1996 Grammy-winning song "I Believe I Can Fly" propelled him to fame.
His alleged victims include the singer Aaliyah, who was 15 when Kelly married her illegally in 1994. The marriage was later annulled, and Aaliyah died in a 2001 plane crash.
Since the trial began on Aug. 18, jurors have heard testimony from dozens of women and former employees about Kelly's alleged tightfisted control over his entourage.
Several witnesses have said Kelly became angry if people broke "Rob's rules," which included that they call him "Daddy" or get permission to go to the bathroom or talk with others.
Witnesses have also said Kelly pressed accusers to write "apology letters" to potentially absolve him of wrongdoing, and failed to reveal prior to intercourse that he had the sexually transmitted disease herpes.
On Monday, jurors heard defense testimony from a musical artist, who performs as Da-Ni, who said he has known Kelly since about 2005, viewing the singer as a mentor to shadow in the studio and at concerts, in order to "observe, learn and become."
He testified that he had never seen illicit activity by Kelly toward the alleged victims.
But a prosecutor, Maria Cruz Melendez, tried on cross-examination to show that the witness was not close to Kelly, and wanted to stay on the singer's good side to advance his own music career, which never panned out.
Jurors also heard defense testimony from a former Chicago police officer who said he worked twice in Kelly's security detail.
Scrutiny of Kelly increased after the #MeToo movement began in late 2017, and Lifetime aired the documentary "Surviving R. Kelly" in January 2019.
Kelly still faces sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota, regardless of the outcome of the Brooklyn trial.
Reuters
Tue Sep 21 2021
R. Kelly watches as Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Geddes speaks during his sex abuse trial at Brooklyn's Federal District Court. - REUTERS
Kerajaan Madani tidak lari dari landasan perlembagaan - Anwar Ibrahim
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menegaskan, kerajaan tidak akan mengubah ketetapan Islam sebagai agama rasmi dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagaimana didakwa oleh pembangkang.
Pengerusi DAP Johor: Chin Tong sedia beri laluan kepada Nie Ching
Liew Chin Tong sedia berundur daripada jawatannya sebagai Pengerusi DAP Johor untuk memberi ruang kepada timbalannya, Teo Nie Ching.
AWANI Ringkas: Golongan elit fobia bahasa kebangsaan
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Fantastic Food Festival 7.0 by Kak Nab meriah, platform usahawan IKS bina 'branding' tersendiri
Penganjuran Fantastic Food Festival (FFF) 7.0 dengan kerjasama Yaya Empire Perfume menjadi satu sinergi terbaik untuk para usahawan memasarkan produk.
Tiga anggota polis ditahan di pusat hiburan, positif dadah
Tiga anggota polis antara 14 individu ditahan setelah didapati positif dadah dalam serbuan di sebuah pusat hiburan dekat Taman Dutamas, Cheras.
Mesir hantar 22 tan bantuan kemanusiaan ke Lubnan
Mesir menghantar 22 tan bantuan kemanusiaan ke Lubnan, menurut Kementerian Luar negara itu pada Sabtu.
Kerajaan tidak pernah bincang tukar status agama Islam sebagai agama Persekutuan - PM Anwar
Kerajaan tidak pernah berbincang untuk menukar status agama Islam sebagai agama Persekutuan, tegas Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Petani berdepan masalah untuk hasilkan padi pada musim depan - Pesak
Petani di kawasan seliaan Lembaga Kemajuan Pertanian Kemubu berdepan masalah untuk mengusahakan tanaman padi pada musim depan.
Macron gesa penghantaran senjata ke Israel dihentikan
Presiden Perancis Emmanuel Macron menggesa agar penghantaran senjata ke Israel dihentikan berikutan operasi ketenteraannya di Gaza yang lebih setahun telah membunuh hampir 42,000 orang dan mencederakan kira-kira 97,000 yang lain.
Suspek bunuh bapa sempat beli pisau lipat sebelum ditemui rebah
Lelaki OKU mental yang didakwa membunuh bapanya di rumah mereka di Kampung Senaling Kuala Pilah sempat membeli pisau lipat di sebuah kedai sebelum tiba-tiba rebah.
Hukuman penjara R Kelly ditambah selepas pendakwaan kedua
Kelly dipenjara pada Jun 2022 selama tiga dekad selepas didapati bersalah melakukan pemerdagangan seks dan penipuan perniagaan.
R Kelly didapati bersalah atas enam tuduhan berkaitan pornografi kanak-kanak
Kelly didapati bersalah atas enam tuduhan termasuk berkaitan penderaan seksual dan pembikinan filem lucah membabitkan kanak-kanak.
Penyanyi R Kelly dipenjara 30 tahun
Peguam Kelly memaklumkan penyanyi itu akan mengemukakan rayuan.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Penyanyi 'I Believe I Can Fly' R. Kelly didapati bersalah
Kelly menghadapi kemungkinan dipenjara selama beberapa dekad atas jenayah itu.
Pengurus R Kelly dihadap ke mahkamah ugut lepas tembakan, kesalahan seksual
Pengurus kepada penyanyi R Kelly ditahan atas tuduhan mengungut untuk melepaskan tembakan di sebuah teater di Manhattan dua tahun lalu.
R Kelly dituduh rasuah kahwini Aaliyah pada usia 15 tahun
Kelly dituduh membayar rasuah kepada seorang pegawai kerajaan di Illinois untuk menghasilkan "satu dokumen pengenalan diri palsu untuk Jane Doe #1" pada 30 Ogos 1994.
'Saya tidak bodoh nak buat semua itu' - R. Kelly nafi terlibat jenayah seksual
R. Kelly tidak dapat mengawal emosi ketika ditemubual Gayle King seminggu selepas didakwa 10 pertuduhan gangguan seksual.
R Kelly berdepan hukuman penjara dengan bayaran bon RM4.8 juta
Penyanyi berusia 52 tahun itu didakwa dengan tuduhan melakukan gangguan seksual terhadap empat orang wanita, termasuk tiga darinya bawah umur.