R.Kelly, or Robert Sylvester Kelly, best known for the hits “I believe I can fly” (1997) and “If I could turn back the hands of time” (1998), is on trial in New York for sexual abuse , human trafficking and bribery.
The case should have started earlier, but was postponed several times due to the corona pandemic. Later there will be a second lawsuit in Chicago, where the singer will be charged for similar facts.
R.Kelly has been in custody since 2019 after he was arrested in Chicago for 13 new offenses, including child pornography and obstruction of justice. Those allegations came on top of the list of charges already against the singer, including abuse of girls and women, possession of child pornography and paying hush money to victims.
The allegations have been going on for a long time: a first trial for possession of child pornography dates back to 2008. Since then, R.Kelly has been associated almost continuously with abuse. The 2019 documentary “Surviving R.Kelly”, in which several women testified about abuse when they were minors, brought the matter further.
In New York, there are allegations against five women, three of whom were minors at the time of the alleged abuse. R.Kelly pleads innocent.
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