Update: Judge Tosses Pediatrician Witness in R. Kelly Case
Prosecution testimony from a pediatrician has been ruled inadmissible in the Chicago child pornography case against R&B singer R. Kelly. Prosecutors wanted Sharon Cooper, a developmental and forensic pediatrician, to offer a theory as to why the girl in the case has denied she is the alleged victim, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday. Judge Vincent Gaughan ruled Friday that Cooper's testimony was inadmissible because it would have addressed the credibility of the girl's grand jury testimony rather than explain her actions, the Tribune reported. Prosecutors hoped to show the girl's denial is behavior typical of victims of child pornography, while Kelly's defense argued it would be improper to have Cooper use behavior patterns of victims to explain the actions of someone who has consistently said she was not abused, the Tribune reported. Prosecutors have said the girl in the tape could have been as young as 13 at the time. The girl in question, now in her early 20s, has said she is not the person in the tape and made that claim before a grand jury, the Tribune reported. Kelly, 40, who has denied any wrongdoing, faces charges for allegedly videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl.