Mike Leigh - The Things They Say 8502 & other

Singer R. Kelly acquitted of making child porn

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A jury acquitted R&B star R. Kelly of child pornography charges on Friday, finding he did not make an explicit videotape showing him having sex with an underage girl who called him "godfather."

The 41-year-old Kelly, whose given name is Robert, could have faced a sentence of up to 15 years in prison on 14 counts of child pornography.

The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated about six hours over two days before delivering the not guilty verdict on all counts.

The 26-minute videotape featured oral sex, masturbation and other explicit acts and was handed over to police by a Chicago newspaper reporter in 2002. It had circulated widely on the underground video market.

Authorities said the tape was shot at Kelly's former Chicago home sometime between January 1998 and November 2000 when the girl was 13 or 14.

The tape was played in court for the jury, and the girl could be heard whispering "daddy" several times. Family members testified she considered Kelly her "godfather" who frequently gave her cash gifts. She sang in a group supported by the popular songwriter, singer and producer.

The girl, now 23, did not testify at the three-week trial in Cook County Criminal Court, having previously denied she was the girl on the tape. Kelly, who has toured and made million-selling albums during the six years since his initial arrest, denied being the man on the tape.

(Writing by Andrew Stern; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Ashley Judd Joins Campaign Against Human Trafficking

Ashley Judd has decided to lend her voice to the campaign against human trafficking, after she "stumbled upon" the issue while visiting brothels, slums and hospices in 12 nations to promote public health.

"I know that the unheard are helped when they are heard. I know that compassionate listening helps me, and my goal was to help the U.N. help them," the actress said at a news conference on Tuesday (June 3) at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Roughly 2.5 million people worldwide - most of them women and children - are thought to be victims of the $32 billion annual industry of human trafficking, according to U.N. figures.

Judd, a two-time Golden Globe nominee, has also used her celebrity to focus attention on HIV/AIDS prevention to young adults, as she has been serving as a global ambassador for education and prevention program YouthAIDS.

"I do think that all of the issues are fundamentally connected," Judd said. "They all spring out of gender inequality."

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Photo courtesy of Roadside Attraction.

Rob Reng

Artist: Rob Reng

   Genre(s):
Dance

Discography:

My Flava-(ER025)-WEB

Year: 2007
Tracks: 2

Taylor Swift - Swift Is A Clean Freak

Teenage country star TAYLOR SWIFT is a self-confessed clean freak - and can't stand having an unmade bed.

The singer hates having a messy bedroom at home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and has to have everything in a particular order.

Swift says, "I'm sort of a neat freak. I need the bed to be made.

"It's kind of interesting because that kind of defies the whole musician thing. I think we're supposed to be messy ... but I need everything to be neat and put away and organized."

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