R. Kelly accuser reacts to the singer's conviction: 'I'm ready to start living my life free from fear'
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A woman who accused R. Kelly of sexual assault said she could live "free from fear" after his trial.
The woman, identified as "Sonya," said Kelly assaulted her in 2003 when she was a radio intern.
Kelly was convicted on all counts, but the jury didn't find him guilty of Sonya's accusation.
A woman who testified against R. Kelly in his federal sex-trafficking trial said she could "live free from fear" after a jury on Monday convicted Kelly on all counts.
The women's-rights attorney Gloria Allred read a written statement from the woman, who testified under the pseudonym "Sonya," to reporters in which she expressed relief that the trial reached a resolution.
Though the jury convicted Kelly - whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly - on all counts, they found prosecutors did not prove two of 14 alleged acts housed under a racketeering charge. In her statement, Sonya thanked members of the jury for considering her testimony, even though her allegation was included in one of those two.
"I've been hiding from Robert Kelly due to fear and threats made against me, and I'm ready to start living my life free from fear and start the healing process," Sonya's statement said.
Sonya told jurors she went to Kelly's home in 2003 to secure an interview with him as a radio intern. She testified that Kelly instead trapped her in a room and left her without food and water for more than two days. She told the jury she believed Kelly drugged and sexually assaulted her in the room.
"I thought it would really just kick-start my career," she testified.
In her statement, Sonya urged other people who thought they'd been victims of a crime to come forward.
"Thank you for shining a light and helping me get out from under that rock that I stayed under for far too long," she said. "If you've been in a similar situation, I urge you to come forward. It will be like a weight lifted off of your shoulders."
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