R Kelly only acquitted over child porn because he intimidated witnesses and tampered with evidence, lawyer Michael Avenatti claims
The claim was made by lawyer Michael Avenatti, who is involved in the latest allegations against Kelly.
The star was acquitted in 2008 on charges of making child pornography after being accused of making a sex tape with an underage girl.
Avenatti tweeted: “We have now uncovered how R Kelly was able to gain his acquittal in 2008: We have discovered substantial evidence that he and certain enablers engaged in systematic witness intimidation, evidence tampering, physical threats, and payments to witnesses. They rigged the trial.”
His allegation comes as a grand jury has reportedly been convened in Chicago to look at potential criminal charges that could now be filed against R Kelly for sexual misconduct.
The rapper is facing possible charges after he was allegedly filmed having sex with a 14-year-old girl in a video tape now in the hands of US prosecutors, it has been claimed.
Avenatti turned the tape overt to prosecutors after he says his office discovered it.
They rigged the trial
According to celebrity news website TMZ, a number of women who claim to be victims of R Kelly were flown out to Chicago to watch the tape.
Some of the women have never previously surfaced and were brought in to watch the tape to see if the surroundings and location look familiar, and to help identify the girl, says TMZ.
The 43-minute long tape allegedly shows two explicit scenes featuring a man "who appears to be R Kelly performing multiple sex acts with the girl", CNN reported.
She also allegedly calls him "daddy" multiple times, the report claims.
And the girl reportedly refers to her genitals as 14-years-old.
The man also asks the girl to urinate before he urinates on her, CNN says.
Kelly – one of the most successful R&B acts in history – has been plagued by claims of sexual abuse against several women and girls – which he denies.
Authorities already allegedly investigating claims made in the explosive documentary series 'Surviving R. Kelly' that aired last month.
In that series, several women came forward with harrowing allegations of having abusive sexual relationships with the star.
Kelly’s lawyer Steven Greenberg told the Sun Online: "In 2008 R Kelly was found not guilty in a trial, fair and square. As a lawyer, Mr. Avanetti ought to respect the verdict."
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