R. Kelly, trial for child abuse begins

The trial of US R&B singer R. Kelly began yesterday in a court of law in Brooklyn, New York. The star is accused of sexual abuse of minors, blackmail and corruption. Accusations that he has repeatedly denied. Some of the allegations made against the singer – whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly – date back more than 20 years. If he were to be convicted on all counts, he faces over ten years in prison. The first witness was a woman who at the time of the facts reported, in 2009, was a minor and who claimed that her minor age was also aware of the star. Kelly is accused of being the head of a real organization that dealt with getting him girls, even minors, for sex in the various cities where he went for tours and recordings. In her opening plea, Kelly’s lawyer Nicole Blank Becker instead stated that the alleged victims are offended groupies, who initially consented to sex and then became “mischievous” or wanting to take advantage of the money and fame of the company. star. But prosecutors described Kelly as “a man who used lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse to dominate his victims and avoid taking responsibility for him for years.” “This case is about a pimp,” said assistant prosecutor Maria Melendez, “it’s not about a celebrity who really likes to party.”