Jury selection begins in R Kelly sex abuse trial
The 54-year-old appeared stoic in a navy blue suit as the questioning of jurors began in the Brooklyn court, where he faces charges of racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, bribery and forced labor, spanning from 1994 to 2018.
All prospective jurors will remain anonymous and be partially sequestered throughout the process. Those selected for the trial will be escorted to and from court by US marshals, which is not abnormal in such high-profile trials. One woman was excused because in her pre-selection questionnaire she said"women don't lie" about suffering rape or abuse. When the judge probed her stance, the woman clarified that she thought it was rare that a woman would come forward with a false abuse allegation.
Twelve jurors and six alternates will be selected - and those chosen will be the only members of the public to view the trial in person, a decision the court made due to the spread of Covid-19. The New York indictment details lurid claims that Kelly operated a crime ring that systematically recruited and groomed young girls to have sex with him, locking them in their rooms at hotels when he was on tour, instructing them to wear baggy clothing when not with him,"to keep their heads down" and to call the singer"daddy".
Among the alleged victims listed in the indictment is"Jane Doe #1," widely believed to be the R&B singer Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash at age 22 in 2001.
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