Disgraced singer R. Kelly has been convicted on multiple charges in his ongoing trial in his hometown of Chicago, including several counts of child pornography.
The 55-year-old performer was found guilty on three of four counts of child pornography by a federal jury after they deliberated for two days over 11 hours, the Associated Press reported. The charges carry a minimum of 10 years in prison, the Chicago Tribune noted.
Kelly was also found guilty on three of five counts of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The conviction comes after a judge in June convicted Kelly on all nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking in New York, USA Today noted. He’s currently serving a 30-year sentence behind bars as a result of that trial. The AP noted that with the combined convictions, the once legendary singer won’t be eligible for parole until he’s 80 years old.
BREAKING: R. Kelly has been found guilty at his child pornography trial in Chicago. The singer was already convicted of sex trafficking in June and still faces additional trials. https://t.co/0jn1JmqQiv pic.twitter.com/dqSFzbUJNc
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 14, 2022
On Wednesday, the R&B singer, however, was acquitted on a fourth pornography count, as well as a conspiracy to obstruct justice in his 2008 child pornography trial brought by Cook County in 2002, the outlet noted.
The disgraced singer’s co-defendants/associates, Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown, were acquitted on all charges, the Tribune noted.
In closing arguments, prosecutor Jeannice Appenteng told jurors “ladies and gentlemen, what R. Kelly wanted was to have sex with young girls,” USA Today noted.
Kelly’s attorney Jennifer Bonjean told jurors in her closing arguments that government witnesses, “came in here to tell the government’s version of the truth.”
The disgraced singer was once known for his hits such as “I Believe I Can Fly” and other songs like “Bump n’ Grind.”
Even as as allegations of sexual misconduct against the singer began surfacing in the 1990s, he still sold millions of albums. But public support for the singer began to shift following the release of a 2019 Lifetime docuseries, titled “Surviving R. Kelly,” and after the #MeToo movement.
The singer’s legal troubles are not yet over. He still faces two further trials, one in Minnesota and another in state court in Chicago, the AP noted.
Related: R. Kelly Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison Following Sex Trafficking Conviction