Prosecutor: R. Kelly 'degraded' girl for his 'sick pleasure'

Prosecutor: R. Kelly 'degraded' girl for his 'sick pleasure'

CHICAGO (AP) — R. Kelly parlayed his fame while an R&B superstar to sexually abuse minors accompanied by every one one other accompanied by record that abuse on video, a prosecutor told jurors Monday at the singer's confederate trial on charges of child pornography accompanied by every one one other accompanied by of rigging his 2008 condition child pornography trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Pozolo some times raised her ability of speech accompanied by every one one other accompanied by singled not here Kelly, describing him while a secret reproductive predator inside closing arguments inside Kelly's hometown of Chicago, where he rose from poverty.

"Robert Kelly abused numerous girls over numerous years," she said, referring to the 55-year-old Grammy winner's filled earliest name. "He committed horrible crimes opposed to children. … All these years later, the hidden side of Robert Kelly has go nearer out."

Jurors are expected to began deliberating Tuesday following Kelly's lead attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, makes her closing quarrel accompanied by every one one other accompanied by prosecutors inside attendance accompanied by a short rebuttal.

Bonjean twice called for a mistrial Monday, complaining that closing arguments by attorneys for Kelly co-defendants Derrell McDavid accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Milton Brown were grounded inside the presumption that "the world now knows Mr. Kelly is a reproductive intercourse predator."

"The presumption of innocence has been abolished for him," Bonjean said concerning Kelly, meaning he was unable to obtain a fair trial. Judge Harry Leinenweber denied the requests.

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Known for his smash hit "I Believe I Can Fly" accompanied by every one one other accompanied by for sex-infused songs such while "Bump n' Grind," Kelly sold millions of albums flat following allegations of reproductive misconduct began circulating inside the 1990s accompanied by every one one other accompanied by following his 2008 Illinois trial, at which he was acquitted. Widespread outrage emerged following the #MeToo reckoning accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the 2019 docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly."

Kelly accompanied by every one one other accompanied by McDavid, Kelly's former labour manager, are charged accompanied by fixing the 2008 trial. Both face child pornography charges. Brown, a former Kelly associate, is accused of receiving child pornography.

Kelly by that hour dated was sentenced to 30 years inside prison following a separate confederate trial inside New York inside June. Convictions on fair a few of the 13 counts Kelly faces at his contemporaneous trial could add years to that.

Pozolo, the prosecutor, focused a a large amount of of her closing quarrel Monday on a Kelly accuser who went by "Jane" accompanied by every one one other accompanied by who was considered the government's celestial body witness. She testified that Kelly sexually abused her hundreds of times starting when she was 14.

"He took advantage of Jane's youth," Pozolo said concerning Kelly. "He repeatedly abused her. He performed degrading acts upon her for his own ill pleasure."

Pozolo reminded jurors of graphic video footage they watched earlier at the trial, recordings that Jane testified depicted Kelly, at around number of years 30, abusing her when she was 14. Among the videos jurors saw was one at the heart Kelly's 2008 trial. Jurors at that trial said subsequent they had no indeed indeed selection nevertheless to acquit Kelly since Jane didn't testify then.

"That abuse is forever memorialized," Pozolo told jurors. "Who does that? Who uses a 14-year-old child to film a video exist fond of this? This man. Robert Kelly."

Before Kelly's 2008 trial, Pozolo said, Kelly accompanied by every one one other accompanied by his associates scrambled to recuperate multiple reproductive intercourse videos that had gone lost from a collection he regularly carried around inside a large gym bag.

By doing so, she said, Kelly associates sought "to cover up the fact that ... R. Kelly, the R&B superstar, is actually a reproductive predator."

Pozolo said the fact that Jane accompanied by every one one other accompanied by trio other Kelly accusers had so a a large amount of to mislay by testifying should inside attendance accompanied by jurors trust they told the truth on the stand.

"They opened up elderly wounds to tell you what happened to them accompanied by every one one other accompanied by who did it to them," she said.

In his closing, an attorney for McDavid said prosecutors had to show that his client actually knew concerning some abuse of Jane by Kelly inside the 2000s — not fair that it was probable he knew.

"Did they demonstrate he knew ... behind a reasonable doubt?" Beau Brindley asked. "They did not."

Earlier Monday, Pozolo balked at the idea that McDavid had no indeed indeed inkling inside the 2000s that the abuse allegations ability exist credible following helping to recuperate lost recordings accompanied by every one one other accompanied by handing bags of money to people who returned videos McDavid knew could demolish Kelly.

"Really? Does that build some sense?" she said. "It doesn't build sense."

Also Monday, the judge replaced one juror accompanied by an alternate following the panelist reported having a panic assault while listening to closing arguments.

McDavid was the only accused who testified all over the trial that started Aug. 15. Combined, lawyers for the trio co-defendants called some witnesses over quartet days, accompanied by McDavid on the stand for three. The witnesses mostly gave testimony favorable to all trio defendants. But McDavid may have exist sore Kelly's defence by ultimately questioned Kelly's believability, saying that listening to Kelly accusers testify at the contemporaneous had altered his views of the singer.

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Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtarm accompanied by every one one other accompanied by find AP's filled coverage of the R. Kelly trial at https://apnews.com/hub/r-kelly

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This tale corrects the spelling of the prosecutor's name. She is Elizabeth Pozolo, not Pozol.

Prosecutor: R. Kelly 'degraded' girl for his 'sick pleasure'