R. Kelly Convicted Of Child Pornography Charges In Federal Court

R. Kelly Convicted Of Child Pornography Charges In Federal Court

R Kelly has been found guilty of child pornography charges. The singer faces as much as 90 years in prison if convicted on all counts. However, his attorneys argued that he was guilty of less than two counts. The charges of child pornography carry mandatory minimum sentences of ten years, while enticing children carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

A federal jury found R. Kelly guilty of child pornography and enticing minors in videotaped performances. Kelly was previously acquitted on one count of obstruction of justice, but was convicted on three counts of enticing minors. Each of these charges carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, which can be served concurrently or consecutively.

The case centered on video evidence that showed Kelly to be a serial predator who helped his co-defendants hide his abuse to keep his career intact. As a result, the prosecution urged the jury to pay attention to “Jane’s” testimony and videotapes of her abuse. Meanwhile, Kelly’s defense team presented its case on Sept. 1, trying to raise doubts about the age of the accusers, particularly “Jane”. Illinois law sets the age of consent as 18 years.

The guilty verdict means that Kelly could face a total of 10 to 90 years in prison, although the sentence will ultimately depend on the judge’s discretion. Although the prosecutors will try to persuade the judge to impose a sentence separate from her peers, the judge is likely to follow the verdict of the jury.