Say illegal nups didn’t slow perv
R. Kelly’s 25-year pattern of sexual abuse took no breaks — not even after his illegal, secret wedding to 15-year-old singer Aaliyah in 1994, prosecutors said during closing arguments Wednesday.
Just three days after his Aug. 30, 1994, Sheraton Hotel shotgun wedding to “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” singer Aaliyah — whom Kelly believed was pregnant with his child — he raped another underage girl backstage, prosecutors reminded the jury.
“It didn’t change after he married Aaliyah,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Geddes during her summation at the sixweek Brooklyn Federal Court trial. “In fact, he didn’t skip a beat.” On Sept. 2, 1994, after returning to the Southern leg of his tour, Kelly allegedly forced himself on a 17-year-old name Addie, whom he had invited backstage with her friend after a show.
Prosecutors entwined Aaliyah and Addie’s experiences with the “Sex Me” singer during their broad closing statement at Kelly’s sex trafficking trial.
Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, the 54-yearold Chicago native is accused of trafficking women and girls for illegal sexual activity. He and his crew allegedly targeted women, fans at his concerts.
“He groomed girls and boys for sexual activity despite the fact that they were too young to consent to that sexual activity,” Geddes told jurors.
She outlined Kelly’s modus operandi of recording sexual encounters — sometimes with underage girls — and threatening employees and victims. She also detailed his method of forcing girlfriends and members of his entourage to write “collateral” letters where they admitted to stealing from him. He kept the letters, which prosecutors say he hoped would keep victims quiet, in a safe in a storage unit.
“He intended to use the letters in the future ... for a day like this,” Geddes explained.
Closings came after Kelly said Wednesday that he would not take the stand in his defense.
Federal prosecutors began their closing arguments Wednesday afternoon and will continue Thursday morning.