R. Kelly is facing a second federal trial, on different charges, set to take place in his hometown of Chicago.
Two months ago, the 55-year-old American R&B singer was given a 30-year prison sentence in New York. He was found guilty on nine counts of sex-trafficking and federal racketeering.
Jovante Cunningham, a former backup singer for Kelly, said outside the court after the hearing: “I started this journey 30 years ago. There wasn’t a day in my life up until this moment that I actually believed that the judicial system would come through for Black and brown girls.
“I stand here very proud of my judicial system, very proud of my fellow survivors and very pleased with the outcome.”
What Is R. Kelly on Trial For?
R. Kelly is currently facing a second federal trial, charged with child pornography, sexual exploitation of children and conspiracy to defraud the U.S.
The jury selection process was set to start on Monday. At least two women who claim Kelly coerced them into sex acts while they were underage are expected to testify during the trial.
This trial will likely discuss the previous allegations against him, as in 2008 he was put in a state trial on accusations of child pornography, which he was acquitted from.
According to The Associated Press, the charges “relate to a video that allegedly showed him sexually assaulting and urinating on a 14-year-old girl, which first became public in 2002. Kelly was acquitted of recording the video in 2008 in an Illinois state trial, in which the alleged victim told a Cook County grand jury that the girl in the video was not her, reportedly under pressure from Kelly. She is now cooperating with federal prosecutors”.
Kelly will be put on trial with Derrel McDavid, his former business manager. McDavid is being charged with conspiring with Kelly to bribe witnesses and dispose of evidence in the 2008 trial, as well as obstruction of justice.
Judge Harry Leinenweber will be presiding over the case.
Is R. Kelly in Jail?
R. Kelly was previously incarcerated at a Brooklyn prison, but was moved to a Chicago detention center on July 12.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database, Kelly is currently an inmate at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center.
R. Kelly denies all of the current allegations of child pornography and sexual exploitation of children, as well as the past charges for which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
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