Six years after R Kelly was arrested on child pornography charges, his trial looks set to get under way soon, with jury selection beginning this week. Kelly, who faces 15 years in prison if convicted, has reportedly welcomed the news. His spokesman, Allan Mayer, told reporters: "Every waking moment, he's always had this hanging over his head. He's confident that when all the evidence comes out he'll be shown not to be guilty of any crime".
As much previously reported, Kelly is accused of 14 counts of making child pornography relating to a video that allegedly shows him engaging in sex acts with a 14 year old girl. There were more charges relating to the video tape when it was first discovered, and separate charges relating to photos that allegedly also showed the R&B star having sex with another minor, but those charges were ultimately dropped, for one reason or another, some merely technical. Despite all this, Kelly's celebrity and record-selling status have not been affected, which has angered some people.