Jury acquits R&B superstar R. Kelly on all counts in child porn case

Jury acquits R&B superstar R. Kelly on all counts in child porn case
BY RICH SCHAPIRO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Updated Friday, June 13th 2008, 3:59 PM
Huh/AP
R. Kelly was angry when he arrived in court on Friday, but was happy when he left, having been cleared of all charges.
R&B star R. Kelly was cleared of child pornography charges Friday, ending a six-year saga for the mega-popular singer that threatened to land him in prison for 15 years.
After the foreman of the Chicago jury read the verdict, Kelly was visibly elated, dabbing his face with a handkerchief before embracing his lawyer.
The case hinged on a graphic, 27-minute sex tape that prosecutors said showed Kelly, 41, having sex with a girl as young as 13 at the time.
The key witness was a woman who said she participated in a ménage à trois with Kelly and the alleged victim.
Defense lawyers maintained that unlike Kelly, the man on the tape didn't have a large mole on his back. The alleged victim, now 23, also said she was not on the tape.
Prosecutors called 22 witnesses in the month-long trial, including several friends and family members of the alleged victim. All of them identified her as the girl on the tape having sex with Kelly.
In just two days, Kelly's lawyers called 12 witnesses. They included three relatives of the alleged victim who testified they did not recognize her as the female on the tape.
Despite his legal troubles, Kelly - who rose from poverty on Chicago's South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer - still retains a huge following, and his popularity has arguably grown in recent years.
The Grammy Award-winning artist is best known for his hits "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Bump N' Grind."
rschapiro@nydailynews