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R. Kelly’s Long-Awaited Federal Trial Enters Its Second Week

Disgraced R&B superstar R. Kelly was acquitted on child pornography charges back in 2008.

Now, 13 years later, he faces his first federal trial, on charges of racketeering and eight violations of an anti-sex trafficking law.

From The Chicago Tribune:

Allegations of sexual abuse have dogged Chicago R&B superstar R. Kelly for more than 20 years, through myriad civil lawsuits, newspaper exposes, cable specials and criminal charges alleging he videotaped himself having sex with a young teenage girl.

But what happened in a federal courtroom in New York last week was a first for Kelly: One of his accusers took the witness stand to testify against him in a criminal proceeding.

We talk about the allegations against R. Kelly, the accusers who are testifying against him in court, and one victim who can’t be called to the stand: the late R&B icon Aaliyah.

Copyright 2021 WAMU 88.5

Kathryn Fink
Kathryn Fink is a producer with NPR's All Things Considered.