R. Kelly Informs Judge He Won't Testify In Child Pornography Case: Report

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R&B singer R. Kelly leaves the Leighton Criminal Courts Building following a hearing on June 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Prosecutors turned over to Kelly's defense team a DVD that alleges to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl in the 1990s. Kelly has been charged with multiple sex crimes involving four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters
R. Kelly refuses to take the stand.

R. Kelly's trial continues with new developments emerging every day. So far, we know that the government has presented several alleged victims who claim to have been sexually abused by Kelly as minors that have taken the stand. One woman, who is now 37, said Kelly began abusing her when she was 14 and he was 30 years old.

R. Kelly performs in concert at Barclays Center on September 25, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Pont/Getty Images)

 

It does not look like Kelly will be taking the stand during his trial. According to NBC Chicago, Judge Harry Leinenweber asked Kelly if he discussed taking the stand with his lawyer. Kelly told the judge that he and his lawyers had that discussion, though he declined to testify.

Judge Leinenweber brought up the subject just before attorneys for Kelly and his two co-defendants, Derrel McDavid, Kelly's business manager, and Milton Brown, brought out their witnesses. McDavid agreed to testify while Brown took the same stance as Kelly.

Kelly faces accusations of child pornography, tampering with the 2008 trial, and luring minors for sex. McDavid is charged with helping Kelly fix the 2008 while Brown is charged with receiving child pornography.

McDavid's witness is a former police officer who testified that McDavid informed him in 2001 that someone was trying to blackmail Kelly.

Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in June for racketeering and sex trafficking charges. We'll keep you posted on updates regarding the case.

 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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