R. Kelly convicted of child pornography in Chicago federal trial

Disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly was convicted on three child pornography charges involving videotapes of him sexually abusing teenagers at his federal trial in Chicago on Wednesday.

The 55-year-old singer, whose legal name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was acquitted on a fourth child porn count. He was also acquitted on an obstruction of justice charge.

Kelly was also convicted on three counts of enticing minors for sex. He was acquitted on two other counts.

A federal child pornography conviction comes with a mandatory 10-year prison sentence. Kelly may be able to serve his time consecutively or concurrently. No immediate date was set for sentencing.

The jury began deliberating on Tuesday after a month-long trial. They asked multiple questions and powered through an apparent impasse before delivering the verdict.

Kelly was already convicted on similar charges in Brooklyn Federal Court last year and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The Brooklyn jury found Kelly guilty of running a decades-long sex abuse scheme in which he used his fame to seduce and abuse young fans.

The Chicago federal trial dealt with different accusations from multiple women. One victim, testifying under the pseudonym Jane, said Kelly assaulted her uncountable times when she was between the ages of 13 and 18.

Jane also testified that she was the 14-year-old girl being abused in disgusting child sex tapes that featured Kelly and were played for the jury.

In 2008, Kelly was acquitted on child porn charges in a state trial in Illinois. The same videos were at the center of this year’s federal trial. At the 2008 trial, Jane did not testify.

Federal investigators argued that Kelly rigged that trial by paying off Jane’s family with vacations and hiding her in hotels during the proceedings. But the jury acquitted Kelly on the obstruction of justice charge that stemmed from those accusations.

Two of Kelly’s associates and co-defendants, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, were acquitted on all counts.

Jane was the key witness for the prosecution. She testified that Kelly began grooming her when she was just 13 years old. He quickly became her godfather.

Kelly started sexually abusing Jane when she was 14 and began having sex with her at 15, Jane testified. She said Kelly had sex with her “uncountable times” when she was between 15 and 18 years old.

Another woman, testifying under the pseudonym Pauline, said Jane introduced her to Kelly when she was 14 years old. She said Kelly quickly began grooming her and abusing her as well.

Even now, at age 37, Pauline admitted that she still had feelings for Kelly. But as a mother, her perspective was vastly different.

“If somebody did something to my kids,” she testified, “I’m killing ‘em. Period.”

With News Wire Services