R. Kelly Gets Major Honor Rescinded Following Guilty Verdict in Sex Crimes Trial

R. Kelly is having his key to the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana revoked after being found guilty on nine federal counts Monday including racketeering, sex crimes, human trafficking, obstruction of justice and kidnapping. State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle told TMZ Thursday that she intended to rescind the honor she bestowed upon the musician back in February 2013, when she was a member of the Baton Rouge Metro Council, and regrets awarding it to him in the first place.

Kelly has been the subject of sexual abuse allegations for decades, but Marcelle told the outlet she only knew at the time he had been acquitted on child pornography charges in 2008, but hadn't done her homework to learn more about what had been leveled against them. Although Marcelle is now a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, a representative of the Baton Rouge council told TMZ she still holds the power to take back the key as the original person to award it. 

Kelly's 23-day trial in Brooklyn, New York came to an end Monday with a guilty verdict after prosecutors alleged he masterminded a scheme to "target, groom and exploit girls, boys and women." Prosecutors claimed in his original indictment that Kelly and his team, which included managers, bodyguards and assistants, "traveled throughout the United States and abroad to perform at concert venues...and to recruit women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with Kelly" dating back to 1999. 

The "I Believe I Can Fly" artist allegedly required victims to comply with strict rules - not permitting them to leave their room without receiving permission, "including to eat or go to the bathroom," not permitting them "to look at other men" and requiring them "to call Kelly 'Daddy.'" Many of these allegations were leveled in the docuseries Surviving R. Kelly, which also looked back on R. Kelly's acquittal 13 years ago. 

"R. Kelly's Enterprise was not only engaged in music; as alleged, for two decades the enterprise at the direction of R. Kelly preyed upon young women and teenagers whose dreams of meeting a superstar, soon turned into a nightmare of rape, child pornography and forced labor," Angel Melendez, special agent in charge from Homeland Security Investigations, said in a statement after Kelly's 2019 indictment.

Kelly is also facing federal charges in the Northern District of Illinois including child pornography and obstruction charges, criminal charges in Minnesota for two counts of engaging in prostitution with a minor, and Illinois state charges for aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.