Accuser at R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial resumes testimony

NEW YORK – A cardinal accuser astatine the R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial returned to the witnesser basal connected Thursday, saying helium often videotaped their intersexual encounters and demanded she formal similar a Girl Scout during a narration that began erstwhile she was a minor.

Jerhonda Pace resumed her testimony successful Brooklyn national tribunal a time aft telling jurors she was a 16-year-old virgin and a subordinate of Kelly’s instrumentality nine erstwhile helium invited her to his mansion successful 2010. While there, she said, she was told to travel “Rob’s rules” — edicts restricting however she could dress, who she could talk with and erstwhile she could usage the bathroom.

She said Kelly — born Robert Sylvester Kelly — sometimes demanded she deterioration pigtails and “dress similar a Girl Scout” during intersexual encounters that Kelly often videotaped.

Ad

On transverse examination, defence lawyer Deveraux Cannick sought to amusement that Pace mixed up dates astir erstwhile she interacted with Kelly and that she deceived him by astatine archetypal lying astir herself.

“You were successful information stalking him, right?” Cannick asked.

“That is not right,” she responded.

His questioning acceptable a taxable that defence lawyers person repeatedly pushed aboriginal successful the trial: Kelly was victimized by groupies who hounded him astatine shows and afterward, lone to crook against him years aboriginal erstwhile nationalist sentiment shifted against him, they allege.

To bolster their claims against Kelly, prosecutors showed jurors screenshots from Pace’s telephone showing respective communications with Kelly successful January 2010, including a substance from him reading, “Please call.” There was besides a photograph of her with “Rob” tattooed to her chest. She said she’s since “covered it up with a achromatic heart.”

Pace, the trial's archetypal witness, was among aggregate pistillate accusers — mostly referred to successful tribunal arsenic “Jane Does” — expected to attest astatine a proceedings scheduled to past respective weeks. Other apt witnesses see cooperating erstwhile associates who person ne'er spoken publically earlier astir their experiences with Kelly.

Ad

The Associated Press doesn’t sanction alleged victims of intersexual maltreatment without their consent unless they person shared their identities publicly. Pace has appeared successful a documentary and participated successful media interviews.

Kelly, 54, has denied accusations that helium preyed connected Pace and different victims during a 30-year vocation highlighted by his smash deed “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 opus that became an inspirational anthem played astatine schoolhouse graduations, weddings, advertisements and elsewhere.

The openings and grounds came much than a decennary aft Kelly was acquitted successful a 2008 kid pornography lawsuit successful Chicago. The reprieve allowed his euphony vocation to proceed until the #MeToo epoch caught up with him, emboldening alleged victims to travel forward.

The women’s stories got wide vulnerability with the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The bid explored however an entourage of supporters protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades, foreshadowing the national racketeering conspiracy lawsuit that landed Kelly successful jailhouse successful 2019.

Ad

The proceedings is occurring earlier an anonymous assemblage of 7 men and 5 women. Following respective delays owed mostly to the pandemic, the proceedings unfolds nether coronavirus precautions restricting the property and the nationalist to overflow courtrooms with video feeds.

The New York lawsuit is lone portion of the ineligible peril facing the singer. He besides has pleaded not blameworthy to sex-related charges successful Illinois and Minnesota.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.