CHICAGO (AP) — The jury at R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago has gotten the child pornography and trial-fixing case.
The trial went to the jurors on Tuesday after the singer's lead attorney told them that the prosecution's case is largely based on the testimony of perjurers and blackmailers.
Prosecutors have accused Kelly of videotaping himself, having sex with underage girls, using his fame to entice minors for sex, and rigging his 2008 child porn trial.
His lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, noted during her closing argument that many key government witnesses, including some of the women who accused Kelly of sexually abusing them, testified with immunity to ensure they wouldn’t be charged with previously lying to authorities.
“They came in here to tell the government's version of the truth," Bonjean said.
Prosecutor Elizabeth Pozolo described the R&B singer as a closeted sexual predator during her closing argument.
Pozolo added that the evidence presented to the jurors showed that Kelly used his fame to sexually abuse minors and recorded video of the abuse.
Kelly has already been sentenced in a separate trial.
In June, he received a 30-year prison for racketeering and sex trafficking.
