It seems like a lifetime ago when the 27-minute sex tape first surfaced in February of 2002 and all of R. Kelly’s legal problems began. The Chicago Sun-Times were the first to break the story after receiving the video tape anonymously. On the tape allegedly showed Kelly and a 14-year old girl engaging in a variety of sex acts. Both R Kelly and the alleged victim have always denied that they are the people on the tape. Kelly was indicted for 21 counts of having sex with a minor, which later would be reduced to solicitation of a minor for child pornography. There’s been many rumors through the years that the tape showed numerous sexual acts, including the often hyped urinating on the allege victim, but the tape actual does not show any actual sexual intercourse.
After several false starts, jury selection began on May 9 of this year with opening statements from the prosecution and defense beginning on May 20th. After just two weeks, the prosecution’s case wrapped with the defense finishing their case six days later. On Friday the 13th, of all days, R. Kelly has his life free once again of any legal problems.
Of course even during the last six years with these charges hanging over him, R. Kelly didn’t go the Michael Jackson route and go into hiding. Instead Kelly’s had some of his biggest commercial success of his career, including the 2003 release of Chocolate Factory (that sold over three million copies) and his quirky Trapped in the Closet “mini-opera” series.
In the end, how do you prosecute someone when the allege victim claims it is not her on tape to begin with? Add the fact that the allege victim is now 23 years old and doesn’t even resemble an under-age girl at this point. This was a trial that the prosecution never had a chance to win.
“Thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus,” Kelly proclaimed over and over, with tears in his eyes, on Friday after the verdict was released. Thank you Jesus, thank you God, whomever you like, someone is smiling on you and hopefully you will take this second chance to heart. Happy Black Music Month indeed!
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