What Does R. Kelly's Guilty Verdict Really Mean For His Future

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00:00After a seven-week trial, R&B singer R. Kelly has been convicted of racketeering

00:06and sex trafficking. The guilty verdict was announced in Brooklyn, New York on September 27,

00:12three days after the jury started deliberations. Kelly faced one count of racketeering, which

00:17included kidnapping, bribery, and sex trafficking charges. He was also charged with eight counts of

00:23violating the Mann Act. According to Cornell Law, the Mann Act criminalizes the transportation of

00:29any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.

00:36Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represented three of Kelly's victims, released a statement shortly

00:41after the guilty verdict was announced. Allred said,

00:45First, he used the power of his celebrity to recruit vulnerable,

00:48underage girls for the purpose of sexually abusing them. These were not May-October relationships,

00:55which is what his defense attorney wanted the jury to believe. These were crimes

00:59against children and some adults. R. Kelly is facing decades behind bars after his most recent

01:05conviction. According to NPR, the singer faces anywhere from 10 years to life in prison. Kelly

01:11will be sentenced on May 4. However, his lawyer Devereux Kanick said they are planning to appeal the

01:17conviction. Though Kelly didn't physically react when the verdict was being read, Kanick implied the

01:22singer believed he would be acquitted. Kanick said,

01:25He was not anticipating this verdict because based on the evidence, why should he anticipate this

01:30verdict? You saw witness after witness giving three, four, five different versions as to what

01:36they said happened here. Kanick also suggested that the prosecution's story was inconsistent

01:41and didn't tell the whole story. He continued,

01:44You didn't get to see what we saw in terms of the discovery. You didn't get to see all the inconsistencies.

01:50We said in our summation that the government cherry-picked their version that they thought

01:54would support the continuation of the narrative. Despite Kanick's claims, the jury readily sided with

02:00the prosecution, as it only took them three days to reach a guilty verdict. Though R. Kelly and his

02:06team may be stumped by the guilty verdict, much of the public celebrated the news. Shortly after the

02:11R&B singer was convicted, hashtag R. Kelly was trending on Twitter throughout the day,

02:16as people took to the social media platform to celebrate the fact that some justice had finally

02:22been served for at least some of the survivors in the case. It wasn't just spectators on Twitter

02:27who were pleased with the verdict. Some of Kelly's victims spoke out as well. For example,

02:32Kitty Jones, a former radio host and DJ who spent two years with R. Kelly,

02:37said the verdict provided her with some comfort. Jones told the Daily Beast,

02:41We got justice today. I wouldn't say I now have closure, because in the end,

02:46none of us will get our time back. But this is a small victory.

02:49This wasn't the first time Kelly has been charged with crimes of a sexual nature.

02:53The singer was acquitted of child pornography charges back in 2008, and it won't be the last,

02:58either. According to the Chicago Tribune, the singer still has charges pending in Chicago,

03:03Illinois for more sexual abuse allegations. He is also facing charges for solicitation in Minnesota,

03:10where Kelly allegedly solicited prostitution services from a minor, per NBC. While we can't

03:16yet say what will come from those cases, it's clear at this point that Kelly's future has been

03:20forever changed. The conviction may also be remembered as a landmark case for social justice

03:26as well. Chicago prosecutor Kim Foxx opined that R. Kelly's guilty verdict is a monumental win

03:32for the Me Too movement. She shared,

03:35It is my hope that through this trial, and the toll that it has taken to get to this point,

03:39that we recognize that the movement is not at its fullest strength if everyone doesn't have equal

03:45access to justice. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.

03:52Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE,

04:014-6-7-3-4-6-7-3.

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