Accusers detail more troubling allegations in week three of R. Kelly’s sex trafficking trial – NBC Connecticut

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The third week of R. Kelly’s sex trafficking trial in New York saw more accusers, including for the first time, a man presenting a series of disturbing allegations and a former aide giving insight into how he dominated his inner circle. The accusers testified without using their real full names to protect their privacy.

Defense attorneys for 54-year-old artist I Believe I Can Fly have continued to fight back claiming his alleged victims have every chance of rejecting him after saying he sexually assaulted them from their minor years , but instead chose to enjoy his lavish lifestyle.

There will be a break in the trial until Thursday. Here are some scenes from week three:

THE MINIONS R. KELLYS

The trial provided a glimpse of how R. Kelly assembled a team of assistants, some called runners, to cater for his every whim.

They faithfully drove the R&B celebrity, fed him, booked his trip and kept him safe. For some, their only job was to be on call to participate in one of their favorite hobbies: basketball games.

His minions testified that they were subject to deductions from their fines from their wages if they made a mistake. Prosecutors said crew members also had to turn a blind eye to sexual abuse of women and girls, never daring to intervene.

A former assistant who worked for Kelly from 2015 to 2017, Suzette Mayweather, testified that she was involved in enforcing rules imposed by her boss to keep one of her underage victims online.

She said he berated her once for allowing the victim to leave a van to go to the bathroom without first getting her permission. He also got angry when she was caught discussing his relationship with another woman.

It was the first time I had seen Rob really upset, she said. It was not the tone. It was the look in his eyes.

THE PIE INCIDENT

Mayweather also provided a description of one of the strangest displays of loyalty to Kelly.

She testified that Kelly once contacted her in the middle of the night, asking her to bring a sweet potato pie to her studio. Without objection, she quickly searched for a 24-hour Walmart and found it contained Patti LaBelle brand sweet potato pies.

Mayweather bought all of the pies in sight and delivered them by Uber to the studio. She testified that Kelly greeted her saying, I thought you were going to fail your test.

She said she watched Kelly put the pies away without taking a bite.

LAND OF INIQUITY

Two witnesses described the garage at R. Kelly’s mansion in the Chicago area as a den of iniquity where he indulged his evil side.

Both said the garage had been transformed into a gym, complete with a boxing ring, training equipment and a sauna. A male witness told the jury how Kelly once took him there and with a snap of her fingers pulled a naked young woman out from under the ring of the box to give them a blowjob. both.

A woman also testified that she agreed to have threesomes with Kelly and other women. Once, she said, the accused made her put on lingerie and interact with a girlfriend who wore a leash and collar, describing it as an S&M role-playing experience.

She was on all fours and I was walking her, she said.

CHALLENGING WITNESS

The jury also heard from another woman who accused Kelly of giving him herpes and said she filed police reports and sued him for failing to disclose an STD.

She also went public with her allegations, including on a podcast where she said: I don’t like the word victim because I don’t feel like a victim and let’s be clear I made the choice to get involved. with that person.

Kelly’s attorney, Deveraux Cannick, confronted her with the comments and peppered her with questions about why she remained in a sexual relationship with Kelly which started at age 19 if she thought she was. ‘she was being exploited.

You made a choice, Cannick said, adding that you entered on your own accord.

When a prosecutor had the opportunity to question the witness again, she defiantly maintained her statements, agreeing that she didn’t like the term survivor. The prosecutor then turned the question of choice on Kelly.

The accused also made some choices, the prosecutor said. The accused chose not to tell you that he had herpes, did he?

Right, the woman replied.

This was the second time during the third week of the trial that jurors had heard testimony alleging that Kelly had inflicted an STD on a sexual partner. Another woman testified Friday that the R&B singer allegedly gave her herpes and was paid $ 200,000 to settle a lawsuit for failing to reveal he had it.

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