Robert Kelly is one happy camper right about now, thanks to a Cook County jury who just acquitted the R&B pied-piper of child pornography charges. This marks the end of a high-profile trial chocked full of courtroom drama. The 41-year-old superstar long denied charges that he videotaped himself engaging in a variety of sex acts with his then-underage goddaughter.
Authorities said the female in the video could have been as young as 13 at the time. The jury of nine men and three women deliberated for 7 ½ hours before finding Kelly not guilty on all 14 counts.
"R Kelly was found not guilty because they had the best jury that Cook County could produce," said Kelly's attorney Sam Adam Jr. "Two things happened today. R. Kelly got his name back and [his goddaughter] never had to lose hers," Adam said.
Prosecutors struck a somber note about a case that's lasted more than six years, using their statements to thank witnesses, profess faith in their case and acknowledge they had an uphill fight to prove it.
"As we must, we accept the verdict of the jury in this case," said Cook County State's Atty Richard Devine. "This prosecution is one we have no reservations about."
Shauna Boliker, the lead prosecutor in the case, reserved her comments to thanking witnesses who came forward. "It was a difficult thing for them to do, but they did it very eloquently and courageously," she said.
In the moments before the verdict was announced, Kelly could be seen praying in the courtroom. As the verdicts rolled in, each count not guilty, Adam said he heard Kelly saying, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus."Kelly left the courtroom surrounded by his entourage, who kept reporters away from the singer and escorted him to a waiting sport-utility vehicle as some 50 supporters shouted support to him.
Though Kelly did not speak to reporters, he did salute and wave to fans.
Allan Mayer, a Kelly spokesman, said, "Robert has asked me to speak on his behalf for now. Robert has said all along that he believes in our system, and he believes in God. And that when all the facts came out in court, he'd be cleared of these terrible charges.
"He did not expect that it would take 6 ½ years. It's been a terrible ordeal for him and his family, and at this point all he wants to do is move forward and try to put it behind him. He wants to thank his lawyers who defended him so brilliantly. He wants to thank his fans who stuck by him and supported him with such love.
"Most of all, he wants to thank God for giving him the strength to get through this. He's going to have more to say about all of this very soon. But for right now, he'd be more inclined to be with his family, collect himself and get strong again. But we'll be hearing from him soon about all of this.
"Again, he thanks everyone for their support, and he thanks our system of justice for seeing him through. And he thanks God for his strength and his love."
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