Decades of Accusations Set the Stage for R. Kelly’s Trial

The R&B artist was acquitted in 2008. But the culture around allegations of sexual misconduct has shifted dramatically since then, and he faces more formidable charges this time.

Twenty five years ago, a woman in Chicago sued the singer R. Kelly. Tiffany Hawkins said she and Mr. Kelly began having sex in 1991, when he was 24 and she was an underage high school student. The lawsuit was settled for $250,000, and the murmurs about sexual misconduct have followed Mr. Kelly ever since, spilling over into public view across two decades of civil suits, accusations and a disturbing Lifetime documentary. But the only time Robert Sylvester Kelly faced criminal charges, in 2008, he was acquitted. Now, years removed from that first trial, Mr. Kelly faces far more formidable charges.