Aaliyah's uncle says 'there wouldn't have been a trial' if he had known about ...

Aaliyah's uncle says 'there wouldn't have been a trial' if he had known about ...
Aaliyah's uncle says 'there wouldn't have been a trial' if he had known about ...

Barry Hankerson, former manager to R. Kelly and uncle to late R&B singer Aaliyah, said that the now-convicted sex offender 'wouldn't have to worry about a trial' if he had been aware of the abuse against his niece.

'If I had known what Robert Kelly was doing, Robert Kelly would not have to worry about a trial,' Hankerson told The Daily News

'I can't say what would have happened, but there wouldn't have been a trial if I had known about any of the things he was trying to do to my niece.' 

Hankerson, 74, who introduced the two stars, declined to elaborate on what he might have done to Kelly if he had been privy to the couple's inappropriate relationship.

Kelly, 54, was found guilty of all nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking by a federal jury on Monday during his trial which featured testimony about his sexual exploitation of Aaliyah and their illegal marriage.

Barry Hankerson (pictured), former manager to R. Kelly and uncle to late R&B singer Aaliyah, said that the now-convicted sex offender 'wouldn't have to worry about a trial' if he had been aware of the abuse against his niece

Barry Hankerson (pictured), former manager to R. Kelly and uncle to late R&B singer Aaliyah, said that the now-convicted sex offender 'wouldn't have to worry about a trial' if he had been aware of the abuse against his niece

Kelly, 54, was found guilty of all nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking by a federal jury on Monday during his sex trafficking trial which featured testimony about his sexual exploitation of Aaliyah and their illegal marriage

Kelly, 54, was found guilty of all nine counts of racketeering and sex trafficking by a federal jury on Monday during his sex trafficking trial which featured testimony about his sexual exploitation of Aaliyah and their illegal marriage

Hankerson did not testify during Kelly's trial, however he did reportedly speak to federal investigators about his relationship with Kelly and his niece.

'I was not one of their witnesses, obviously. They never pushed that issue at me. They were very polite,' Hankerson explained. 

Aaliyah's uncle was also kept in the dark about the couple's relationship, Kelly's former tour manager Demetrius Smith testified during the trial.

When Kelly — fearing that he had impregnated the 15-year-old starlet — contacted Smith in 1994 about their situation he told him: 'Aaliyah was in trouble and 'don't call Barry.'

Hankerson, who says he hasn't seen Kelly since the '90s, is still processing the trial and Kelly's guilty verdict.

'I really haven't really made a decision on what my reaction is to the verdict,' he said. 'I think justice was served, that's about it.' 

Hankerson introduced Kelly to his niece at her family home in Detroit, Michigan when she was just 13 years old. 

Hankerson introduced his niece, Aaliyah (pictured in 2001), to R. Kelly when she was 13 years old. He was reportedly kept in the dark about the couple's inappropriate relationship

Hankerson introduced his niece, Aaliyah (pictured in 2001), to R. Kelly when she was 13 years old. He was reportedly kept in the dark about the couple's inappropriate relationship

R. Kelly is pictured with Aaliyah in the mid-1990s. They married in August 1994, when Kelly was 27 and Aaliyah was 15. The marriage was annulled by her parents in 1995

R. Kelly is pictured with Aaliyah in the mid-1990s. They married in August 1994, when Kelly was 27 and Aaliyah was 15. The marriage was annulled by her parents in 1995

What was R. Kelly on trial for in New York?

The charges against R. Kelly related to allegations involving six alleged victims - five women named as Jane Does in the indictment and the singer Aaliyah. These charges are:

ONE COUNT OF RACKETEERING - GUILTY

The racketeering charge includes 14 underlying acts including: one act of bribery, three acts of sexual exploitation of a child, one act of kidnapping, three acts of forced labor and six acts of violating the Mann Act.

Racketeering charges are used where there is an 'enterprise', mob or mafia running organized crime operations.

In this case, Kelly is accused of running a racketeering 'enterprise' for two decades made up of his 'inner circle' of managers, bodyguards and other employees who would help him recruit women, girls and boys for him to sexually exploit and traffic them around the US.

To convict Kelly on the racketeering charge, jurors had to find him guilty of at least two of the 14 acts.

EIGHT COUNTS OF VIOLATING THE MANN ACT - GUILTY

The Mann Act is a federal law that makes it illegal to traffic people across state lines for prostitution or illegal sexual activity.

Four of these charges relate to an incident involving Jane Doe #5 in 2015 while the other four involve Jane Doe #6 in separate incidents in May 2017 and February 2018.

Three of these charges involve Kelly allegedly exposing the two women to herpes without informing them.

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Kelly reportedly played piano for the family and Aaliyah performed for the singer, igniting the start of their professional relationship. 

Following their meeting, Kelly wrote and produced Aaliyah's 1994 debut album, 'Age Ain´t Nothing But A Number.'

He married Aaliyah when she was just 15 in a 10-minute ceremony held inside a Chicago hotel room.

Pastor Nathan Edmond, who took the stand during Kelly's trial, testified that he was recruited to marry Kelly, who was aged 27 at the time, after he was shown a falsified document that stated Aaliyah was 18. 

Late last month, Smith testified to the same court that he bribed a government worker with $500 to obtain Aaliyah's fake ID so that Kelly could marry her. 

Also during the trial, a witness recounted how she walked in on 'Robert and Aaliyah in a sexual situation.'

According to the testimony, Kelly was kneeling before the teenage singer and had his head between her legs. 

The witness said she then abruptly shut the door and never spoke to Kelly about what she saw. Aaliyah was about 13 years old at the time of the alleged encounter. 

She was killed in a plane crash in 2001 when she was 22 years old.

Kelly, who was found guilty of sex crimes by a jury of seven men and five women after nine hours of deliberation and a six-week long trial featuring lurid testimony, faces up to 100 years in prison - 20 years for racketeering, 10 for each of the sex trafficking convictions. 

His sentencing is expected to take place on May 4, 2022. 

Kelly has remained in custody after being denied bail in his New York City case in October 2019.

Prosecutors say he ran a Chicago-based criminal enterprise for nearly three decades and that he used to 'target, groom and exploit girls, boys and women' for unwanted sex and mental torment.

The acts presented during disturbing testimony included bribery, kidnapping, forced labor rape, druggings, imprisonment and child pornography.

Witnesses said he subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage. 

Kelly has denied any wrongdoing. 

Why R. Kelly's illegal marriage to singer Aaliyah was at the center of his racketeering case nearly three decades later

R. Kelly illegal marriage to R&B singer Aaliyah was presented by the prosecution as a criminal act underlying the racketeering charge against the singer.

The marriage — which took place in a 10-minute ceremony held inside a Chicago hotel when Aaliyah was just 15 — was figured prominently in the prosecution's closing arguments last week, the New York Times reported.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Geddes argued that Kelly's 'sexual abuse' of Aaliyah was 'part of the defendant's pattern of racketeering.'

Earlier this month, Pastor Nathan Edmond, who conducted the 1994 nuptials, testified via video link at Kelly's sex abuse trial.

Pastor Nathan Edmond, who conducted the 1994 nuptials, testified on Sept. 1 via video link at Kelly's sex abuse trial which is currently being held at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

Pastor Nathan Edmond, who conducted the 1994 nuptials, testified on Sept. 1 via video link at Kelly's sex abuse trial which is currently being held at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn.

Aaliyah, who released the album Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, just three months before she illegally wed Kelly, did not tell her parents about the union

Aaliyah, who released the album Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, just three months before she illegally wed Kelly, did not tell her parents about the union

Edmond alleged that he was recruited to marry Kelly, who was aged 27 at the time, after he was shown a falsified document that stated Aaliyah was 18. 

'I didn't know it was anyone special,' Edmond stated on September 1. 'You couldn't see her whole face because her hair was over half of her face.' 

Aaliyah, whose full name was Aaliyah Dana Haughton, worked with Kelly, who wrote and produced her 1994 debut album, 'Age Ain´t Nothing But A Number.'

Late last month, Kelly's former tour manager, Demetrius Smith, testified to the same court that he bribed a government worker with $500 to obtain Aaliyah's fake ID so that Kelly could marry her. 

He reportedly feared that he had gotten Aaliyah pregnant, which would out him as having had sex with an underage girl.  

Prosecutors say Kelly wanted to use the marriage to shield himself from criminal charges related to having sex with a minor and to prevent her from testifying against him.  

The marriage was annulled in 1995 by Aaliyah's parents, who did not know about the wedding before it occurred. She tragically died in a plane crash six years later at the age of 22.  

Pastor Edmond told the court on September 1 that he performed the ceremony at Sheraton Gateway Suites near Chicago's O'Hare Airport. 

He claimed Kelly and Aaliyah wore matching sweatsuits, and that they both had one leg of their sweatpants rolled up to the knee. 

Prosecutors allege that Kelly trafficked women and girls across state lines. He is facing a maximum of life behind bars. He is pictured in 2019

Prosecutors allege that Kelly trafficked women and girls across state lines. He is facing a maximum of life behind bars. He is pictured in 2019 

Edmond's testimony was the first time he publicly spoke about the ceremony. 

He stated that Kelly had asked him to sign a non-disclosure agreement before he conducted the nuptials, but he declined.

'I kind of chuckled...  I said it wasn't worth the paper it was written on. It should have been more airtight,' Edmond stated. 

Despite refusing to sign the NDA, Edmond says he never spoke to the media because he gave Kelly his 'word' that he would not. 

After their secret, low-key wedding, Kelly and Aaliyah denied rumors that they had tied the knot. 

There were also whispers that Aaliyah was expecting Kelly's baby, with one writer telling VIBE magazine in 1994: 'I've been hearing about Robert [Kelly] and Aaliyah for a while — that she was pregnant. Or that she was coming and going in and out of his house.'

Meanwhile, a former live-in girlfriend of Kelly's last month testified that the singer told her that he only married Aaliyah so that she could get an abortion.  

Aaliyah never confirmed the pregnancy. She went on to have a glittering career as an actress and singer before her untimely death in 2001. 

R Kelly is pictured listening to evidence on Sept. 1. He denies charges of racketeering

R Kelly is pictured listening to evidence on Sept. 1. He denies charges of racketeering 

Maria Cruz Melendez, an assistant U.S. attorney, told the court during opening statements at Kelly's trial last month: 'Aaliyah met the defendant in approximately 1992, when she was about twelve years old. Aaliyah had a gift. She was a talented singer, and people thought that she could make it far in the industry, so the defendant [Kelly] began to produce and write music for Aaliyah when she was still a child. 

'Shortly after he began working with her, the defendant began to engage in sexual activity with her. And for years while Aaliyah was a minor, too young to even consent to sex, he continued to engage in sexual activity with her that lasted several years.'

Back in 2019, Kelly's lawyer, Steven Greenberg, claimed his client had 'no idea' Aaliyah was underage at the time of their marriage. 

During the trial, the court also heard testimony from another alleged victim of Kelly's who claimed that the singer kept a gun by his side while he berated her before  forcing her to give him oral sex. 

'He had a weapon, so I wasn´t going to step out of line,' the woman said while recounting the 2018 episode. 

She said that at the time she spotted Kelly with a gun, he demanded to know, 'How many men have you seen naked?' He also instructed her to act 'excited like a puppy' and added: 'I still have a lot to teach you.' 

She testified that she saw Kelly on multiple occasions. 

Their last encounter came inside a New York City hotel suite, where she resisted having sex with him. She said he responded by warning her not to defy him, saying, 'I'm a f--ing legend.'

Kelly has repeatedly denied accusations that he preyed on victims during a 30-year career. His lawyers have portrayed his accusers as groupies who are lying about their relationships with him.

The trial has so far featured a steady stream of accusers claiming Kelly began sexually degrading them when they were still in their teens. They said he used his stardom to lure them into an insular world where he watched their every move and doled out perverse punishments, spanking them and isolating them in hotel rooms if they broke a vow to never speak about him to anyone else.

Kelly's personal physician has also testified, saying he treated him for herpes for several years.

Many of the sex-related misconduct allegations were discussed in the 2019 Lifetime

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