Accused child pornographer/Grammy winning R&B singer R. Kelly will finally head to court September 17th to stand trial FIVE years after he was first arrested and charged. In 2002 he pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of child pornography after videotapes emerged showing him in sex acts with an underage girl. There’s a lot of confusing issues flying around this case in addition to the lack of a speedy trial. There is some controversy over exactly when the tape was made. Theoretically, the girl in the video was 13 years old. However Kelly’s people have argued that the tape is more recent than the police claim, making the victim older than thought. Though they’re also claiming that it’s not actually R. Kelly on the tapes, but rather a computer generated image of him. I don’t know a lot about that kind of technology – is that a reasonable possibility? The trial has faced various complications leading to its five year mark.

“Since Kelly’s arrest, the case has been hit with delay after delay. [Judge] Gaughan seemed close to setting a trial date last year, but then he was hospitalized after falling off a ladder and suffering multiple fractures. By the time the judge recovered, Kelly needed emergency surgery for a burst appendix, which caused him to miss a status hearing in February.

“Scheduling was further complicated by demand for Kelly’s attorney, Ed Genson. Genson, a highly sought-after attorney, represented Conrad Black in a lengthy trial that ended last month with the newspaper executive being convicted of three counts of mail fraud and one count of obstruction of justice.”

[From the Chicago Sun Times]

That’s a freakishly long and incredibly coincidental list of holdups. Since then, R. Kelly has had SIX best-selling albums, three national tours, and released a DVD set of “hip-hopera” skits. Arguments over when the video was made have delayed the trial quite a bit. I cannot believe how little an effect this has had on Kelly’s career. Shouldn’t this be the kind of thing that ends it? I know that not all criminal problems hurt all celebrities. Some rappers have more “street cred” for having been charged with murder and other hardcore crimes. But being a possible child predator and filming child pornography? How does that not ruin a career? It really disgusts me that people would keep listening to and supporting this guy.

R. Kelly is shown in concert on in April, 2006 at the Chicago Theatre. Thanks to PR Photos.