June 5, 2008 23:53

R Kelly trial: Day 14

Defense says mole is not in video

The defense in the R Kelly child pornography trial continued their case today, calling an forensic video analyst who concluded that the man in the tape is not the singer.

Charles Palm said that the mole on Kelly’s back is not visible in the video, and instead the marks on the man’s back on the tape is simple a residue and shadowing that appears and disappears.

Palm, who has no formal forensics training or certification, said he picked up the skills to analyse such footage on his own, and said training in such a field is not required as computers can analyze footage in a matter of seconds.

Private investigator Jack Palladino also appeared in court today, saying he stopped witness Lisa Van Allen from extorting money from Kelly earlier this year. Van Allen has testified that she had three-way sex with Kelly and the underage girl in the video at the centre of the case.

Palladino says he met with Van Allen and her fiancé Yul Brown at an Atlanta hotel in March. Brown allegedly told Palladino that Van Allen had signed a $300,000 deal to write a book about Kelly.

"I assumed they were trying to solicit a bribe," Palladino told the court.

Assistant State's Attorney Bob Heilingoetter said the trip must have been a failure because there's no evidence of blackmail. "I'm trying to find out where the extortion is other than somewhere between your ears," the Chicago Tribune reports.

If found guilty, Kelly could get up to 15 years in prison.

--By our New York staff.
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