United States: Singer R Kelly convicted for sex trafficking, abusing minors

Singer R Kelly was on Monday convicted by a federal court in the United States in a sex trafficking trial after nine women and two men accused him of “sexual humiliation” and “violence”, the BBC reported.

A jury of 12 individuals found the 54-year-old guilty of all the accusations made against him, according to AP. It included charges relating to racketeering, trafficking women from different states and producing child pornography.

Sentencing in the case is scheduled for May 4 and the singer faces the possibility of spending decades in prison.

During the trial, several accusers said that they were underage when Kelly subjected them to his “perverse and sadistic whims”.

The singer is accused of recording himself while sexually abusing and urinating on a 14-year-old girl in 2002.

He is also accused of forcing a teenage boy to join him for sex with a girl. Further, a video also reportedly shows him smearing feces on of the victim’s face, according to AP.

Another testimony focused on Kelly’s relationship with the deceased American singer Aaliyah. Kelly has been accused of sexually abusing her in 1993 when she was a minor. He had allegedly married Aaliyah fearing she was pregnant and obtained a fake identity card to show that she was an adult.

Some accusers, who were adults, also…

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