Prosecutors rested their case Tuesday (Aug. 30) at R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago after presenting two weeks of testimony, together with from 4 Kelly accusers, of their bid to show the singer enticed underage women for intercourse, produced youngster pornography and efficiently rigged his 2008 state trial.
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Among the many final prosecution witnesses was a 42-year-old lady who glided by the pseudonym “Nia.” Taking the stand Tuesday morning, she was the fourth and last accuser to testify on the trial in Kelly’s hometown. A fifth accuser, who prosecutors had mentioned throughout openings would testify, by no means did. They didn’t clarify why.
By her testimony, Nia painted an image of Kelly as a grasp manipulator who reeled in star-stuck followers, like her, to sexually abuse them after which discarded them.
The spotlight of prosecutors’ case got here two weeks in the past with the testimony of a 37-year-old lady who used the pseudonym “Jane.” She described Kelly sexually abusing her a whole lot of instances beginning in 1998 when she was 14 and Kelly was round 30.
Jane’s testimony is important to the cost accusing Kelly of fixing his 2008 youngster pornography trial, at which he was acquitted. She testified that Kelly and his associates threatened and paid off her and her mother and father to misinform a grand jury earlier than that trial.
Authorized groups for Kelly and two co-defendants now get their likelihood to assault the federal government’s case. Choose Harry Leinenweber informed jurors they might have Wednesday off, then return for the primary protection witnesses Thursday. Closing arguments are anticipated to occur in the midst of subsequent week.
A New York federal choose sentenced Kelly in June to 30 years in jail for convictions on racketeering and intercourse trafficking fees.
Kelly gave Nia, an aspiring actress and mannequin, his phone quantity after the then-15 year-old requested him for an autograph at an Atlanta mall in 1996, she testified. She mentioned Kelly knew her age when he invited her to a live performance in Minnesota, purchased her aircraft ticket and despatched a limousine with an all-red inside to select her up.
On the way in which to the airport, Nia stopped to purchase a purple rose for Kelly, which she positioned in her lodge room. When Kelly got here to her room, he kissed her, then informed her to undress and sit subsequent to him on the mattress. She mentioned she was uncomfortable however did as he mentioned. After touching her and himself, he shortly left, she mentioned.
“I by no means bought the possibility to present him the rose,” Nia informed jurors.
Nia spoke calmly and clearly as Kelly, carrying in a darkish blue swimsuit and black face masks, sat some 25 toes (7.6 meters) in entrance of her and seemed immediately at her. When Jane testified earlier within the trial, he usually stored his eyes down.
Nia mentioned that for weeks after assembly Kelly, he promptly answered all her calls. However earlier than lengthy, he by no means answered them. When she noticed him years later at a video shoot, she mentioned she was harm when he didn’t seem to acknowledge or acknowledge her.
She ended up suing Kelly within the early 2000s, alleging sexual abuse. Kelly shortly settled, paying her $500,000.
Kelly’s 2008 state trial revolved round a video prosecutors mentioned confirmed him sexually abusing Jane. She didn’t testify at that trial, however she informed jurors on the present trial that she was the kid within the video and Kelly was the grownup man. Jurors on the ongoing trial considered excerpts of that video and two others.
Kelly bought hundreds of thousands of albums even after allegations about his abuse started circulating publicly within the Nineteen Nineties. Widespread outrage didn’t emerge till after the #MeToo reckoning and the 2019 docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.
Kelly associates Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown are co-defendants on the Chicago trial. McDavid, a longtime Kelly enterprise supervisor, is accused of serving to Kelly rig the 2008 trial. Brown is charged with receiving youngster pornography. Like Kelly, they’ve denied wrongdoing.
