R. Kelly charged guilty on all counts in sex abuse trial, faces life imprisonment

A New York City jury resumed deliberations on September 27 at the sex trafficking trial of R&B star R. Kelly. After hours of legal clarifications and six weeks of disturbing testimony, the singer was convicted of leading a decades-long sex crime ring.  A New York jury found the superstar singer guilty on all nine charges, including the most serious of racketeering. He faces up to life in prison, scheduled for May 4.

The 54-year-old Kelly, perhaps best known for the 1996 smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly, ” had pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges accusing him of sexually abusing women, girls and boys for more than two decades. He is also charged with multiple violations of the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport anyone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”