R Kelly Found Guilty of all 9 counts in Fedral Sex Crimes Case, Faces Life In Prison

On Monday (Sept. 27), disgraced R&B singer Robert Sylvester Kelly, known as R. Kelly, was found guilty of all nine charges brought against him by the government, including racketeering and sex trafficking.

The verdict was delivered after two days of deliberation by the jury, which consisted of seven men and five women. The relatively quick turnaround on the verdict could mean the jury was in agreement on most counts. Kelly, who was previously acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case, faces up to life in prison.

The verdict comes after five weeks of arguments, physical evidence (some not shown to the public) and 45 witness testimonies from the prosecution alone.

The actual victims--eight Jane Does and two John Does--recounted horrific episodes with Kelly, including experiencing and witnessing gruesome abuse. His previous employees and associates, many of which stood back as the crimes occurred, corroborated the testimonies of victims. The details of Kelly's marriage to an underage Aaliyah were brought to the surface and used to support the government's case against Kelly for bribery. While most of the industry was aware of what happened to the beloved R&B singer at the hands of Kelly over two decades ago, this case is the first time Kelly has been held accountable by the law in relation to the illegal marriage.

In addition to racketeering, Kelly was also found guilty on eight violations of the The Mann Act, established in 1910 to criminalize the trafficking of women for prostitution or "immoral" purposes.

Kelly will now await his sentence, to be determined by Judge Ann M. Donnelly on May 4, 2022. As well, he awaits an upcoming trial later this year for two other cases -- in Illinois for child pornography and obstruction, and Minnesota for a child prostitution charge.