R. Kelly is back in court for his federal trial in Chicago. The case surrounds his 2008 trial where he was accused of witness tampering. After yesterday’s opening statements, one of R. Kelly’s alleged victims took the stand.
The alleged victim, who is now 37 years old, testified against the singer today in court, claiming that he began having sex with her when she was only 15 years old. Though she’s only known as Jane in the court documents, she is the former goddaughter of the singer. She explained that they had sex “innumerable times” before she turned 18-years-old, and explained that she was too intimidated as a minor to say no, especially since she looked at him as an authority figure in her life at the time. She said that the encounters began feeling normal to her over time.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
The alleged victim told the jury that he began touching her when she was 14 years old at his Chicago recording studio. She said things escalated to intercourse when she was 15 years old and Kelly was near twice her age, and they engaged in intercourse at various places from the singer’s home to his hotel rooms and tour bus.
The alleged victim also claimed that she would help Kelly recruit other teenage girls for sex. She added that Kelly actually taped their encounters, as well.
It’s a turn of events in Kelly’s case since this is the same victim who prosecutors claimed was in the underage sex tape at the center of the singer’s 2008 trial. However, she didn’t take the stand back then. She and her parents denied that there was ever anything inappropriate between the two, while Kelly frequently faced allegations of witness tampering.