R. Kelly found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking
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Singer R. Kelly on Monday was found guilty of racketeering and eight counts of violating an anti-sex trafficking law, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Sexual misconduct allegations have surrounded R. Kelly's career, including a child sexual abuse image case in 2008 in which he was acquitted. Multiple other victims have come forward to speak about the abuse in recent years.
- "This is by far the highest-profile, post-Me Too conviction involving sexual abuse that we’ve seen in the music industry," per the New York Times' Joe Coscarelli.
The big picture: The indictment accused R. Kelly of "directing his employees to procure women for sex and sexually abused numerous women over the span of nearly 25 years," Insider reports.
- Many of the women were young teenagers when the abuse began.
- Many witnesses accused Kelly of "[making the girls] have sex with him and his other 'girlfriends' whenever he wanted, often filming the encounters and directing their every move," from the 1990s onward, per Buzzfeed News.
- He also knowingly spread genital herpes to these women and refused to wear condoms during these sexual encounters per Buzzfeed.
Catch up quick: Kelly was convicted on one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, a federal law that addresses sex trafficking. Racketeering is typically associated with organized crime, per the New York Times.
- Jurors deliberated for just nine hours before reaching the verdict.
What's next: The singer now faces the possibility of decades in prison. Kelly's sentencing is scheduled for May 4, 2022.
