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R. Kelly trial: Star witness "Jane" testifies about Kelly videotaping sexual abuse when she was 14

Star witness details underage sex with R. Kelly in disturbing testimony 02:36

****WARNING: This report includes disturbing and graphic details of allegations of sexual abuse****

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The prosecution's star witness took the stand at R. Kelly's federal trial in Chicago on Wednesday, telling jurors the sordid details of how Kelly began sexually abusing her after becoming her godfather when she was only 14 years old.

Identified in court records as "Minor 1" and referred to in open court only as "Jane," she had previously denied Kelly abused her, and didn't testify at his 2008 trial in Cook County on child pornography charges.

Back then, she and her family publicly denied the sexual abuse and denied it was her in the sex tape with Kelly.

She was 14 when the sexual relationship started.

But federal prosecutors have said "Jane" and her family were paid off to lie on the record, threatened by the singer and his team.

For the first time on Thursday, "Jane," now 37, admitted publicly that she was the girl on videotape having sex with Kelly, in a recording that was at the center of Kelly's 2008 child pornography trial, at which he was acquitted.

"Jane" said she first met Kelly at age 12 or 13, during a gospel concert at her church. Kelly showed up and she detailed how both she and the entire crowd were star-struck.

R. Kelly accuser "Jane" takes stand as pivotal witness at federal trial 03:00

A performer herself, in a musical group, she testified Kelly later showed up to one of her shows with her aunt Stephanie, a musician-working with Kelly at the time, who was also engaged in a relationship with him.

"Jane" said Kelly's presence at her gospel show, and critique of her performance, made her feel special.

From there "Jane" said her Aunt Stephanie brought her to Kelly's recording studio with her and encouraged her to "sit on his lap," "rub his head," and "ask him to be her godfather." She said that's when everything changed.

Within weeks their relationship became sexual. She said it started with "phone sex," Kelly asking her about her underwear; turning physical when she was 14. She said Kelly would give her alcohol to help "loosen" her up.

She also described pornographic videos he would play during their encounters, featuring people she knew. "Jane" said the two eventually engaged in group sex acts with underage friends she said Kelly encouraged her to bring around, testifying the physical relationship continued and she "lost her virginity" to Kelly at the age of 15.

She said she had sex with Kelly an "uncountable" number of times; hundreds of times.

Where were her parents during all this? "Jane" said once she told them R. Kelly was her godfather, working on her music with her, and they were comfortable with her being at his studio without her Aunt present.

Kelly was married at the time, and "Jane" said oftentimes her parents thought she was at their home with them, not at the studio alone with Kelly. 

"Jane" will be back on the stand on Friday to face cross-examination from Kelly's attorneys.

Read more details from Thursday's testimony below.

 

"Jane" testifies about Kelly recording their sexual activity, handing her money so she'd look like a prostitute

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Artist's sketch of "Jane," the star witness in singer R. Kelly's federal trial in Chicago, who told jurors about how Kelly began sexually abusing her when she was 14, and repeatedly made videotapes of them having sex. CBS

In graphic testimony at R. Kelly's federal obstruction of justice and child pornography trial, the prosecution's star witness provided graphic testimony, admitting for the first time publicly that Kelly began sexually abusing her when she was 14, and repeatedly filmed their sexual activity.

"Jane," now 37, testified she viewed Kelly as an "authoritative figure" at the time, and said she participated in sexual acts with him while she was underage "out of intimidation."

"I felt uncomfortable … but I looked up to him," she testified. "It somewhat became normal."

"Jane" said she started having feelings for Kelly, and it became normal since sexual involvement with him was so frequent.

"I developed feelings for Robert. He said he loved me. Said he would take care of me. Said he would protect me…it made me feel good," she testified.

She also told the jury she considered herself to be submissive, and wanted to give Kelly everything he required, including bringing her friends "Pinky" and "Brittany" into their sexual relationship. "Brittany" was 16 at the time of their first threesome with Kelly and "Jane" was 15, she testified.

Asked shy she was willing to do those things, "Jane" testified she thought she was in love with Kelly at the time, and didn't want him to think she wasn't cooperating with him..

"Jane said" Kelly first instructed her to keep their relationship secret when they started having phone sex when she was around age 13 or 14. She said Kelly told her they could get in trouble, and it was very important she remain loyal to him

She said she wanted to share the relationship with her friends, but she didn't because she was afraid, though she did eventually share it with her aunt, who had introduced the two.

"Jane" testified Kelly started recording their sexual activity when she was 14. She said she felt uncomfortable about being recorded, but reiterated Kelly was an authoritative figure and she didn't want to feel "awkward."

The recordings included the use of lighting and camcorders, and took place on Kelly's bus, at his studio, and at his house on George Street.

"He let me know he wanted to video tape me … when we were in the room, he was setting everything up," she testified.

"Jane" testified about three recordings that were played for the jury, showing her and Kelly having sex at his George Street house, in his bedroom and living room. She said she watched each of those videos in preparation for the trial.

In one of the videos, "Jane" said the two were having oral and simulated sex in his bedroom, and he asked her to describe her 14-year-old body. In another, filmed in Kelly's living room, he gave her champagne and performed oral sex on her, then urinated on her vagina, she testified.

In the third video, which was evidence in Kelly's 2008 child pornography trial, she performed oral sex on him in his jacuzzi, and he again urinated on her.

Asked why Kelly appeared to hand her money in that video, "Jane" cried audibly and said, "because if anybody saw the tape … he wanted it to appear I was a prostitute."

Later, when the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was investigating claims about their sexual relationship, "Jane" said she denied it, because she was afraid something would happen to Kelly, and wanted to protect him, because he told her "something really bad would happen to him."

"Jane" testified she lied to DCFS because she was afraid and wanted to keep their relationship intact. She didn't even tell her parents, she said, because it was something she would take to her grave to protect Kelly.

"I knew it was something they wouldn't approve of," she testified.

She also testified Kelly told her she did a "good job" and "handled everything correctly."

When one of the sex tapes leaked in 2002, "Jane" said she and her parents had a conversation with Kelly, arranged by his former business manager Derrel McDavid, who is being tried alongside Kelly.

"Jane" said they met at a hotel in Oak Park, and she was scared because her parents were finally going to find out about her sexual relationship with Kelly, because Kelly told her it was true the tape had been leaked, and the authorities were about to get involved, so her parents needed to know, and Kelly wanted them "on his team."

She recalled her father storming out of the meeting, crying, and Kelly pleading for him to stay, crying and begging his father for forgiveness.

"I was embarrassed for lying to my parents. They finally understood everything was true," she testified.

She also said she feared what was going to happen to Kelly, and begging her parents not to turn him in.

After that meeting, "Jane" said Kelly wanted her parents to leave the country so they couldn't speak to the authorities or the press, so he paid for them to the Bahamas and Cancun.

"I was told to make them feel uncomfortable so they would not turn against him," she testified.

By Tara Molina
 

Star witness testifies about "hundreds" of sexual encounters with Kelly, starting when she was 14

"Jane" testified she first met R. Kelly when she was 12 or 13 years old when he came to a gospel concert at her church, and Kelly was introduced to her through her aunt. She said Kelly commented on her performance and appearance on stage, and gave her pointers, making her feel "accomplished and happy" such a successful performer was giving her a critique.

She said she started seeing Kelly more after that, at his basketball gym, his studio, and at restaurants with her aunt. She learned Kelly had a personal and romantic relationship with her aunt.

"Jane " said she spent most of her time with Kelly at his "Chicago Tracks" studio, which she visited hundreds of times.

At one point, when she was 13, "Jane" said her aunt instructed her to sit on Kelly's lap, rub his head, and ask him to become her godfather, and he said yes. Once he became her godfather, the way he spoke to her changed.

"It became sexual," she said. "We would spend a lot of time on the phone together. And eventually he might ask me a question like what color panties are you wearing?"

She said Kelly would talk to her about her breasts growing and her panties, and those conversations progressed into phone sex.

It became more than just talk when she turned 14, and became physical at his studio, while watching TV, when he started rubbing and touching her, "Jane" testified.

Kelly started "rubbing in my vaginal area and on himself" in the wee hours of the night, when no one else was around. "Jane" said, once Kelly became her godfather, her parents felt comfortable with her being there at his studio without her aunt. She said her parents thought she was back at the house with Kelly and his wife, not at the studio.

"Jane" said eventually oral and other sex acts started when she was 14, progressing to vaginal sex when she was 15. They would meet up specifically at his studio or George Street house for those sex acts, which she said happened an "uncountable" number of times by the time she turned 18.

She also said threesomes with Kelly and others started when she was 14. Those threesomes included at least two other Kelly accusers, referred to in court as "Pinky" and "Brittany," both of whom also are expected to testify against Kelly.

By Tara Molina
 

Witness describes number of sexual encounters as 'uncountable'

The woman who prosecutors say is on a sex tape with R. Kelly when she was a minor testified in court Thursday that the number of sexual encounters with Kelly when she was between the age of 15 and 18 was "uncountable."

The woman, identified as Minor 1 or "Jane," said she started to have sex with Kelly around age 15, more than 20 years ago. Jane testified that everything changed after she asked Kelly to be her "godfather." 

It started with Kelly asking her intimate questions about undergarments and progressed to "phone sex" when she was 14, she said. Eventually, relationship became physical, "sexual." She said she was a virgin when she first had sex with the singer, who was married at the time.   

She testified that Kelly started giving her alcohol at the age of 14 and showed her illicit videos of people she says she knew.

Jane is now 37. She was a singer and Kelly once showed up at one of her performances. Jane was introduced to Kelly via her aunt Stephanie and he commented on her performance and appearance on stage, giving her a critique. Jane said she later learned Stephanie and Kelly had a romantic relationship. 

By John Dodge
 

Minor 1 takes stand against R. Kelly

When the woman identified as Minor 1 ("Jane") was 13 or 14 years old, she and her parents repeatedly denied sexual abuse in the early 2000s.

She did not testify in Kelly's 2008 trial.   Now prosecutors say Kelly and his team paid "Jane" and her family to lie and threatened them.

She took the stand today.    

By Tara Molina
 

Witness reveals security features in bedroom

Prosecutors called Matthew Hulsizer, who purchased R. Kelly's home at 1010 West George street in Chicago in 2001. 

He testified that he doesn't remember whether he ever met the singer.  Hulsizer testified about a "concerning security feature" in bedroom -- a button on the wall you had to press to unlock the door and get out of the bedroom 

He said he had to disable the button in order to have a normally operating door. He also realized smoke detectors were actually video cameras. On cross examination Hulsizer testified he did not know if Kelly installed those features in the bedroom.  

By Tara Molina
 

Chicago Police detective completes testimony

Detective Dan Everett, a retired Chicago Police detective, received the first tip regarding the then-minor "Jane" and R.Kelly having sex back in 2000. 

Detailing the police interview of "Jane" and her parents, Everett said the girl referred to Kelly as her godfather and said no sexual abuse took place. CPD called the tip unfounded because she and her parents denied sexual abuse.

Everett said he was later sent the sex tape apparently showing Kelly by the Chicago Sun Times. He said he recognized "Jane" from his earlier investigation. 

On cross examination, Everett said CPD declared the initial tip unfounded. He said he did not interview "Jane" a second time because CPD could no longer locate her or her family. 

By Tara Molina
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