R Kelly due back in court for opening of sex-abuse trial

R Kelly appears during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago in 2017 (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP/Pool)

R&B star R Kelly will be back in a criminal court on Wednesday, this time for opening statements in his long-anticipated federal trial arising from years of allegations that he sexually abused women and girls while pursuing fame and fortune.

More than a decade has passed since Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case in Chicago. It was a reprieve that allowed his music career to continue until the #MeToo era caught up with him, emboldening alleged victims to come forward.