R. Kelly’s former business manager and current co-defendant is expected to continue his testimony at their federal trial Thursday, when prosecutors could have a chance to cross-examine him about his claims that he never participated in any kind of conspiracy to cover up Kelly’s sexual abuse of young girls.
Derrel McDavid testified in his own defense for about four hours Wednesday, and after the jury left for the day, his attorney Beau Brindley said they were only about halfway done with direct examination.
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On the stand Wednesday, McDavid said he came to believe early on that Kelly’s many accusers were merely liars looking for a payday. So when rumors surfaced about a videotape depicting Kelly sexually abusing his teenage goddaughter, “Jane,” McDavid said he believed the singer, who said he “couldn’t believe anybody would make up this kind of a rumor about his goddaughter.”
McDavid’s defense against conspiracy charges depends in part on his claim that he truly believed Kelly to be innocent at the time of the alleged cover-up, and that he merely followed the advice of more experienced attorneys and investigators.
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His testimony also provided a counterpoint to that of prosecution witness Charles Freeman, who told jurors Kelly’s team hired him to recover incriminating video footage while Kelly was under investigation.
But Freeman was actually the one who approached Kelly’s associates, in an attempt to extort them with a video that turned out to be nothing but a fuzzy VHS tape of Kelly with an unidentifiable woman, McDavid testified.
Kelly, 55, faces an indictment charging him with 13 counts of production of child pornography, conspiracy to produce child pornography and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Also charged are McDavid and Milton “June” Brown, who are accused in an alleged scheme to buy back incriminating sex tapes that had been taken from Kelly’s collection and to hide years of alleged sexual abuse of underage girls.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
