R. Kelly has been found guilty on all nine counts of the racketeering and sex-trafficking charges against him in New York City.
According to the New York Times, seven men and five women on the jury were sent into deliberations on Friday (Sept. 24). In total, the jury held nine hours of deliberations. He was charged with one count of racketeering and eight counts of violating the Mann Act, an anti-sex-trafficking statute.
With this conviction, the once highly-regarded musician faces decades in prison.
During the trial, victims of R. Kelly took the stand, some testifying as Jane and John Does while others made their identities public. Many of the stories shared were told publicly for the first time. While others had been explored in the award-winning docuseries Surviving R. Kelly.
Former friends and associates of the “Bump n’ Grind” singer also took the stand, although not all wanted to. Cheryl Mack, a former assistant to the R&B star testified of his threats against her; however, she did not want to take the stand.
R. Kelly did not take the stand in his own defense.
The 54-year-old also faces a case in Chicago’s federal courthouse where he is accused of tampering with his 2008 trial in which he was found not guilty on child pornography charges. Kelly is also the subject of a solicitation case in state court in Minnesota.
Kelly’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4, 2022.