R. Kelly Opens Up About Child-Pornography Case

Three months after being acquitted of all charges, R&B singer/producer R. Kelly spoke publicly for the first time about his child pornography case. Kelly sat down with BET News for an interview that aired Tuesday.

In the interview, the Grammy Award-winning singer admitted the past seven years have taken its toll on him. "I can't keep answering these questions. If you [were] charged with something and you [were] found innocent, then you can't be found guilty for being found innocent,' he said.

When questioned about people from his camp, including his brother Carey Kelly, who expressed "issues of concern" over his actions, Kelly reminded the interviewer that they were all former employees. "The people who don't work for me were fired. Do not listen to the people who [were] fired. Don't even listen to the people who [were] hired. Listen to the facts," he said.

But after several adamant responses to the interviewers' questions, Kelly responds to the question that's on most people's minds with .. well another question. When asked if he likes teenage girls, Kelly asked: "How old are we talking?" He added, "I have some 19-year-old fans. I don't like anybody illegal, if that's what you're talking about."

Going forward Kelly would like to put the ordeal behind him and acknowledges that his public persona may have affected the way people view him. 'I wish people wouldn't connect the R. Kelly image -- of champagne, girls ... sex, sex, sex -- to Robert," he said. "'R. Kelly' is an image, a brand. That's my job. There's a whole other side of me that's Robert, who is a father, a friend. But then I put on the game face and go into the studio and do the music. That's just another day at the office.'

Kelly has plans to concentrate on his children, humanitarian work, which includes a trip to Africa, and of course his music.