R. Kelly Addresses Judge at Child Porn Trial

R. Kelly is giving up his right to speak on his own behalf. He told the judge in his child pornography trial Tuesday that he doesn’t plan to testify…

After Judge Vincent Gaughan told Kelly he had a right to not testify, the R&B singer leaned forward at the defense table with his hands folded and—speaking for the first time at the trial—responded: “I decided not to testify.”

Kelly, 41, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he videotaped himself having sex with an underage girl. Both Kelly and the alleged victim, now 23, have denied being on the tape. Defense attorneys say Kelly has a mole on his back, so the man on the tape can’t be him. But a prosecution witness who’ll take the stand this week is expected to challenge that claim.

Also Tuesday, the judge ruled that jurors can view the sex tape once they begin deliberating.

Kelly’s lawyers had asked the judge to bar jurors from reviewing the graphic video, saying they worried jurors would overemphasize one piece of evidence. But prosecutors argued the tape is the primary subject of the trial and couldn’t be kept from jurors.

Prosecutors are scheduled to call two rebuttal witnesses. Closing arguments are likely to be delivered Thursday.

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