In their dueling opening statement, prosecutors cited R. Kelly's alleged history of sexually abusing girls as young as 14 years old.
Going back to the 1990s, much of the world knew Kelly solely by his hit songs, including the chart-topping inspirational anthem “I Believe I Can Fly,” U.S. Assistant Attorneysaid. But “Kelly had another side … a hidden side, a dark side,” he added. “This trial is about Kelly’s hidden side.”
Julien sought to give jurors a sense of the scale of Kelly’s alleged exploitation, saying he “repeatedly” had sex with girls who were just 14, 15 and 16 years old — “multiple girls, hundreds of times.” Kelly nodded his head in agreement when his lawyer told jurors Kelly isn’t looking for special treatment — just a fair trial.
“It is true that Mr. Kelly is imperfect,” she said. “On his journey from poverty to stardom, he stumbled along the way.” But, she said, she was confident jurors would ultimately find him not guilty. Kelly also faces four counts of enticement of minors for sex — one each for four other accusers. They, too, are expected to testify.
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