R. Kelly Child Pornography Trial: Closing Arguments Highlight 'Horrible Crimes Against Children' Committed by R&B Singer
The trial for R&B singer R. Kelly in a Chicago court is winding down after attorneys for both sides delivered their closing arguments.
Real name Robert Kelly, the singer was not only accused of producing child pornography and enticing minors for sex but also of rigging his 2008 child pornography trial.
The "I Believe I Can Fly" artist was sentenced to 30 years in prison back in June. This verdict was in a separate federal trial in New York and also involved R. Kelly luring minors into sex.
READ NEXT: R. Kelly Prison Sentence Compared to Ghislaine Maxwell's Jail Time: Twiterverse Slams Disparity
Chicago Jury Now Deliberating on the Fate of R. Kelly
According to ABC News, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Pozolo raised her voice several times, singled out the Grammy winner, and described him as a sexual predator in her closing argument Monday at R. Kelly's hometown of Chicago.
Pozolo said the singer abused many girls and committed crimes against children over the years. She added that after all these years, the "hidden side of Robert Kelly has come out."
Pozolo argued that the government's star witness, "Jane," reminded the jury that Kelly sexually abused her hundreds of times, starting when she was 14. She added that "he performed degrading acts upon her for his own sick pleasure." It included Kelly filming his sexual encounter with the 14-year-old girl.
This evidence was shown in his 2008 trial, but the jury, whom Kelly had reportedly influenced, acquitted him because Jane did not testify. In her closing Tuesday, Kelly's lead attorney Jennifer Bonjean argued that key government witnesses were admitted liars who testified against her client with immunity to make sure they could not be charged.
She likened their testimony to cockroaches and the case to a bowl of soup. She said if a cockroach falls into a soup, one has to throw out the whole soup and not eat the rest.
The argument referred to R. Kelly's ex-girlfriend Lisa Van Allen, who testified how she stole a sex tape from his gym bag in the early 2000s, and former Kelly merchandising agent Charles Freeman, who said he asked the singer for $1 million in exchange for returning another incriminating video. Both testified with immunity.
According to the Associated Press, the government then refuted this argument, with prosecutor Jeannice Appenteng telling the jury to remember the names of Kelly's five accusers, Jane, Nia, Pauline, Tracy, and Brittany.
Also on trial are Kelly's co-defendants, Derrell McDavid and Milton Brown. McDavid, Kelly's former business manager, allegedly helped fix his 2008 trial. He also faced child pornography charges. Brown, a former associate of Kelly, is facing one count of conspiracy to receive child pornography.
Chicago Juror Suffers Panic Attack After Closing Arguments
According to TMZ, one of the Chicago jurors in the R. Kelly trial suffered a panic attack on Monday. The juror was reportedly a white female juror who suffered a panic attack after the prosecution's closing argument.
According to the judge, the juror told him that she "couldn't last another minute." He excused her and replaced her with a white male juror. This man has reportedly not seen the "Surviving R. Kelly" documentary like the juror he was replacing.
READ MORE: R. Kelly Remains on Suicide Watch in Prison | Here's Why
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Closing Arguments Wrap up in R. Kelly Trial - From CBS News