R. Kelly’s Sex Trial Get Underway In Brooklyn Today
After years of delays and set backs, R. Kelly's sexual assault trial began today in Brooklyn. It started with a bang, as the prosecution will present a timeline that goes back to 1992. They are going back to the year he dropped his debut album, Born In The 90's, and secretly married his protégé' Aaliyah. Maria Cruz Melendez, an assistant U.S. attorney trying the case told the New York Times, “This case is about a predator.” If convicted the singer faces 10 to life.
Melendez is coming with receipts to include an altered birth certificate, she claims R. Kelly and his associates had changed. In addition, a marriage licensed with both Aaliyah and R. Kelly's name on it. It is August 30 1994 and the young singers age is listed as 18. The problem? In 1994, R. Kelly was 27 and Aaliyah was actually only 15. Of course the songbirds family found out, and had the marriage annulled, severing her ties to Kell's completely. Tragically 6-years later the young music icon died in a plane crash in 2001.
According to court docs, the prosecution wants to show R. Kelly deception of sexually engaging with young underage woman began with Aaliyah. From there he allegedly went on to run a sex enterprise, on a corporate level, undermining and recruiting young woman to exploit their bodies for sex. According to the Times, Melendez is alleging outside of the late music legend, there were 5 other female victims in that timeframe ranging from 16 to 22 years of age.