R. Kelly Found Not Guilty in Child Pornography Case
June 13, 2008 6:22 PM | R. Kelly | Comments (0)
 | Great news for R&B Superstar R. Kelly! Today a jury acquitted him of all charges in his child pornography case. The jury found that he did not make an explicit videotape showing him having sex with a 13 year old girl who called him "godfather." R. Kelly cried and whispered "thank you Jesus" several times after each not guilty finding was announced in the 14-count case. If he was found guilty, Kelly could have faced a 15-year prison term. |
The jury, comprised of 8 men and 4 women, deliberated about 6 hours in two days before announcing their verdict.
The case was a result of a 26-minute videotape showing oral sex, masturbation and other explicit acts which was given to police by a Chicago newspaper reporter in 2002. The video was then widely circulated on the underground video market and on the Internet.
The tape was replayed in court and the girl, Roshona Landfair, could be heard whispering "daddy" several times. Some of the girl's family members testified in court that Landfair considered Kelly her "godfather," who frequently gave her cash gifts.
Landfair had previously denied she was the girl on the tape in testimony to a grand jury that indicted Kelly. Her father is a musician who has worked for Kelly. Landfair, now 23, and her parents did not testify at the three-week trial. Kelly also did not testify.
Kelly previously settled at two civil suits involving women who said they were underage when he had sex with them. He married R&B singer Aaliyah in 1994 when she was 15, but the marriage was quickly annulled. Aaliyah died in a plane crash seven years later.
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