R. Kelly Acquitted

R. Kelly was acquitted on child pornography charges by a jury in Chicago on June 13, 2008. Exactly five weeks after Kelly's trial began, the Grammy-winning R&B singer was found "not guilty" on all 14 counts against him.*Chicago Sun-Times: R. Kelly Not Guilty on All Counts (June 13, 2008)

Kelly, who was accused of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl, could have been sentenced to 15 years in prison if he'd been convicted.

In February of 2002, a videotape allegedly featuring Kelly having sex with a girl as young as 13 was sent to police. Kelly was indicted four months later on multiple counts of child pornography.

"Robert (R. Kelly) has said all along that he believes in our system, and he believes in God. And that when all the facts came out in court, he'd be cleared of these terrible charges. He did not expect that it would take 6 - 1/2 years. It's been a terrible ordeal for him and his family, and at this point all he wants to do is move forward and try to put it behind him." — Allan MayerChicago Tribune: R. Kelly Acquitted (June 13, 2008)

"He sat there and was thanking God. All I heard the entire time those 14 verdicts were being read was thank you Jesus. He is a deeply religious man." — Sam AdamAFP: Star R. Kelly Not Guilty of Child Porn: Verdict (June 13, 2008)