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R Kelly's Sex Tape To Go Public in Child Pornography Trial

If convicted the singer faces up to 15 years in jail.

Chicago judge Vincent Gaughan allows R Kelly's sex tape to be made public during his child pornography trial.

The tape, on which the case was build, shows the singer performing sex acts on a 14-year-old girl.

The judge explained his decision on making the tape public saying that there is no "overarching interest" in banning the tape from public view. "This is the whole crux and linchpin of the case," Gaughan added. "If there was no tape, we wouldn't have a case."

Allegations of Kelly's sexual activity with underage girls go as far back as 1991, when several girls claimed to have had sex with him. In 1994, rumors surfaced that Kelly had married fellow singer Aaliyah, which both Kelly and Aaliyah denied.

However, none of the prior reports reached the level of publicity that followed the release of this video tape in February 2002 that allegedly showed Kelly and a 14-year-old daughter of an associate, and niece of a former Kelly protégé, engaging in sex.

The tape, released by an unknown source, was sent to the Chicago Sun Times, the newspaper that broke the story.

In June 2002, Kelly was indicted in Chicago for 72 counts of soliciting a minor for child pornography, seven counts of videotaping the acts, and seven counts of producing child pornography.

The singer has pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of child pornography but if convicted he faces up to 15 years in jail and could be fined up to $100,000.