The trial of 54-year-old R&B singer R. Kelly has commenced at a court in Brooklyn, New York.
At the commencement of the trial, opening statements were delivered to a jury of seven men and five women. As expected, Kelly’s fate will be decided by the jury.
The multiple Grammy award-winning singer is facing charges which border on racketeering, sexual abuse and bribery. He has however denied the charges repeatedly.
Some of the allegations made against Kelly date back more than 20 years.
Kelly faces charges that he was the ringleader of a group for twenty years where women and underage girls were recruited by him for sex.
In her opening statement, Assistant US Attorney Maria Melendez said: “This case is about a predator.
“This case is not about a celebrity who likes to party a lot.”
Melendez described Kelly as “a man who used lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse to dominate his victims and to avoid accountability for years.”
Kelly wore a grey suit, purple tie, and glasses. He sat silently with his head down at times as the prosecution opened its case.
While talking further, Melendez said Kelly’s celebrity status meant he “had his pick of young fans” and that he hoarded his victims “like objects” and used “every trick in the predator handbook.”
Melendez alleged Kelly used bodyguards, drivers, lawyers, and accountants to cover up a lot of his sexual crimes.
Also, she alleged that he was able to bribe his victims by photographing and filming them having sex and then threatening to release the tapes.
Kelly is accused of requiring victims to demonstrate “absolute commitment” and abide by strict rules, which include that they eat or go to the bathroom only with his permission, not look at other men, and call him “Daddy.”
However, Kelly’s lawyer, Nicole Blank Becker claimed the alleged victims are aggrieved groupies, who originally consented to sex before later becoming “spiteful”.
While talking to The court, Nicole said: “He didn’t recruit them. They were fans. They came to Mr Kelly.”
She added that some of the relationships were “beautiful” and “long-term”.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty and strongly denies any wrongdoing.
If he is convicted on every count, he could be sentenced to many decades in prison.
