R. Kelly, born Robert Kelly,was arrested in Florida after an investigation of a videotape recorded between November 1997 and February, allegedly showed Kelly having sex with an under aged girl.
Kelly was acquitted of all charges Friday after less than a day of deliberations in his child pornography trial, ending a six-year ordeal for the R&B superstar.
Kelly dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict — not guilty on all 14 counts — was read. The Grammy award-winning singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted.
Minutes later, surrounded by bodyguards, he left the courthouse without comment. Dozens of fans screamed and cheered as he climbed into a waiting SUV.
"All I heard (from Kelly) while those 14 verdicts were being read was 'Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus,'" said Sam Adam Jr., one of his attorneys.
Prosecutors had argued that a video tape mailed to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2002 showed Kelly engaged in graphic sex acts with a girl as young as 13 at the time. Both Kelly, 41, and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones on the tape. Neither testified during the trial.
--THE ALLEGED VICTIM, now 23, never appeared in court but was a main subject of testimony. Pictures of the one-time Christian pop-group singer when she was about 13 showed a smiling, cherub-faced girl. At around that age, she began describing Kelly as her "godfather," witnesses said. Kelly frequently gave her cash gifts, a childhood friend testified. Another prosecution witness claimed she had three-way sex with Kelly and the alleged victim. No one questions Kelly and the alleged victim knew each other. But both said it's not them on a sex tape at the center of the case.
"Robert said all along that he believed in our system and he believed in God — and that when all the facts came out in court, he would be cleared of these terrible charges," according to a statement from his publicist, Allen Mayer. "But he never dreamed it would take six and a half years. This has been a terrible ordeal for him and his family and at this point all he wants to do is move forward and put it behind him."
Kelly is one LUCKY S.O.B.!!!
This is Superstar Nic
A Lot Closer 2 Ecstasy and I'm out!
"If you see someone without a smile today, give them one of yours!"
Labels: Celebrity Gossip, Celebrity News, R. Kelly
wer says nobody else was in the car but he didn't have any other details.
