R. Kelly’s attorneys rested their case Monday in the singer’s child pornography trial in Chicago, after two days and twelve witnesses.
Cook County Judge Vincent Gaughan sent eh jurors home Monday and they are to return today, when the prosecution plans to call two rebuttal witnesses. Closing arguments could take place on Thursday, Gaughan said.
The defense had a low-key two days in court. They called neither their star client, accused of having videotaped himself engage in sexual acts with an underage girl, nor the alleged victim.
Both Kelly, 41, and the alleged victim, now 23, deny it is them in the video at the center of the prosecution’s case. But neither took the stand to testify before the judge and jurors.
The prosecution’s seven days of questioning 22 witnesses was significantly more spectacular, with singer Stephanie “Sparkle” Edwards, a relative of the alleged victim, and Lisa Van Allen, who claimed to have had three-way sex with Kelly and the underage girl, making explosive allegations.
Kelly’s attorneys accused Van Allen of conspiring to extort money from the singer. She denied this but admitted she stole one of his expensive watches.
The prosecution rested its case last week.
The defense has been adamant that the man appearing in the controversial video is a look-alike and not Kelly himself, because he lacks a large mole that the R&B singer has on his back. The attorneys have claimed that the video was digitally altered.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of child pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
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