NEW YORK — The R. Kelly trial began Wednesday with federal prosecutors calling him a “predator” who committed sex crimes across the country for nearly three decades.
“This case is about a predator,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez during her opening statement in Brooklyn federal court. “A man who for decades used his fame and popularity ... to target and groom boys, girls and young women for his own sexual gratification.”
Melendez then listed the six women tied to the charged counts in the case, known until now as Jane Does 1-6.
One victim was Aaliyah, who Kelly allegedly impregnated when she was just 15 and then forced into an illegal marriage.
“If she’s his wife, she can’t testify against him,” Melendez said, explaining Kelly’s logic for marrying the teen.
Kelly and his crew secured a fake ID stating Aaliyah was 18. The R&B superstar and underage singer nicknamed the “Princess of R&B” were married in a hotel suite by a pastor.
The other five women who will testify were referred to as Stephanie, Sonya, Jerhonda, Zelle and Faith. Some of whom have already gone public with allegations against Kelly. All are using nicknames or first names to testify in the case.
In one instance, Kelly forced Faith to undress and told her there would be consequences if she responded falsely to any of his questions, Melendez said. A gun was in the room as Kelly grilled her with questions, the prosecutor said.
Kelly forced Faith to submit to his sexual demands during the encounter, Melendez said.
Four of the six victims were minors when Kelly began sexual relationships with them, Melendez said.
One victim, Sonya, was 22 when she met Kelly in Salt Lake City, Utah, while working as an intern at a radio station. Sonya wanted to interview Kelly for her station, Melendez said.
Kelly told her to visit him in Chicago at his studio for the interview. But when Sonya arrived, she was locked in a room in Kelly’s studio for three days, begging to be released, fed or allowed to use the bathroom, the prosecutor said. Kelly’s associates allegedly told her that they couldn’t help her without the singer’s approval.
Eventually, one of his associates gave her cold Chinese food and a Coke. She immediately became drowsy and passed out, Melendez said.
“She woke to find her underwear had been taken off and there was a wetness between her legs,” Melendez said.
Sonya knew she had been sexually abused, Melendez said.
Kelly was in the corner of the room, putting his pants on. An associate told her not to tell anyone about the encounter with Kelly, the prosecutor said.
Kelly’s lawyer, Nicole Blank Becker, said that Sonya had her cellphone the whole time, and that she was sometimes able to use the bathrooms and take a shower.
Sonya did not speak of the incident for 16 years, fearing for the safety of her family after Kelly’s associates took down a list of her close relatives, including her grandmother, before allowing her to leave, Melendez said.
Two other alleged victims, Jerhonda and Zelle, told Kelly they were underage while they were in sexual relationships with him, but the singer did not care, Melendez said.
“He shrugged it off,” Melendez said. “He asked her, ‘What’s that supposed to mean?”
Then he instructed her to continue telling people around them that she was 19, Melendez said.
But Becker denied all the charges during her opening statement, which ran more than an hour.
“Some of these relationships that Mr. Kelly had were beautiful,” Becker said, saying that the government was acting like her client was the leader of a criminal enterprise.
“The government wants you to believe that our client, an internationally known singer, someone they want you to believe is the leader of some large enterprise, is like John Gotti, the leader of a crime family,” Becker said.
“The witnesses you’re going to hear from have an agenda,” she said.
Becker’s opening statement will continue in the afternoon, and then the first witness, Jerhonda, will take the stand, prosecutors said.
