In the closing argument in the trial against R. Kelly, the prosecution accused the R'n'B star of having built an entire network for his sexual offenses.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Geddes told a jury in New York on Wednesday (local time) that the singer used "lies, manipulation, threats and physical abuse" to sexually abuse women and girls for decades with impunity.

The singer had previously waived his own statement.

According to Geddes, Kelly had a whole ring of supporters who systematically recruited victims for him and protected him.

"Without it, the accused would not have been able to pursue his crime pattern for almost three decades," said Geddes, speaking of a "Robert Kelly-centric universe". 

While she was speaking, the public prosecutor stood in front of a billboard on which pictures of members of his environment were grouped around a police photo of the singer.

According to the prosecutor, they were either directly involved in criminal activities or they “made it possible” by “not asking questions” and “effectively enforcing the defendant's rules”.

Kelly refused to testify

In the three previous days of the trial, the defense had called a total of five witnesses - former employees and a childhood friend of the now 54-year-old Kelly. They said they hadn't noticed anything about the abuse. Kelly decided not to testify in court. He denies all allegations and pleads not guilty.

Before the defense’s brief interviews, the prosecution called 45 witnesses to prove the allegations against Kelly and those around him.

Several women testified that they were raped, beaten, drugged and detained.

Sometimes they were refused food or the toilet.

Six of the 11 alleged victims heard in court were minors when Kelly allegedly started the abuse.

Many victims testified that the singer regularly filmed the sex, which in several cases constituted child pornography.

Men were victims too

One woman accused Kelly of forcing her to have an abortion as a teenager.

Four women said they contracted herpes after having sexual contact with the singer.

He kept his infection from them.

The charges centered on the abuse of six women.

Among them was the singer Aaliyah, who married Kelly when she was 15.

The illegal marriage was later annulled.

Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001 at the age of 22. 

Several other victims, including men, were only interviewed as witnesses.

In cross-examination, the defense attorneys tried to portray the prosecutors as offended fans who had become "spiteful" after the relationship with the superstar ended.

The trial of R. Kelly began in mid-August.

The singer of the world hit "I Believe I Can Fly" and three-time Grammy award winner are accused of sexual abuse of minors, kidnapping and bribery between 1994 and 2018, among other things.

If convicted, he faces ten years in prison and is currently in custody.

After the closing arguments, a jury made up of twelve jury members, seven men and five women, decides on Kelly's fate.

In 2008, Kelly was acquitted of child pornography in a controversial trial.