After less than a day of deliberations, the jury in the R. Kelly child pornography trial returned with a verdict of not guilty today. The Grammy award-winning singer did not testify during the trial that was six years in the making. Kelly was charged with 14 counts of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl. The alleged victim, who prosecutors claimed was 13 years old at the time of the alleged crime, denied she was featured in the tape.

"R Kelly was found not guilty because they had the best jury that Cook County could produce," Kelly's attorney Sam Adam Jr. said outside the Cook County court. "Two things happened today. R. Kelly got his name back and [his goddaughter] never had to lose hers."
The case took several twists and turns from a surprise witness that claimed she engaged in a threesome with the singer and the alleged victim and experts that debated whether a spot on the back of the man in the tape was actually a dark spot/smudge caused by the videotape or a mole.

Kelly, who was facing 15 years in prison, reportedly uttered "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus" as the verdicts flowed in. Read the full story.