Woman says R. Kelly had sex with her 'hundreds' of times before she turned 18 years old

R. Kelly is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for his conviction in New York this year on federal charges alleging he used his fame to sexually abuse fans. Photo: AP

A woman who has been central to R. Kelly’s legal troubles for more than two decades testified Thursday (Aug 18) that the R&B singer had sex with her "hundreds” of times before she turned 18 years old, starting when she was 15.

Jane - the pseudonym for the now 37-year-old woman at Kelly’s trial on child pornography and obstruction of justice charges - told jurors that in the late 1990s when she was 13, she asked the Grammy award-winning singer to be her godfather because she saw him as an inspiration and mentor.