Grammy-award winning rhythm and blues superstar R. Kelly broke down and wept on Friday as a jury cleared him of 14 charges of child pornography.

The Chicago-based artist had consistently denied the charges since his arrested in 2002 after an incriminating video tape was sent to the Chicago Sun-Times.

"Robert has said all along that he believes in our system, and he believes in God. And that when all the facts came out in court, he'd be cleared of these terrible charges," Kelly spokesman Allan Mayer told reporters.

Kelly left the courthouse without speaking to the press or a small crowd of screaming supporters.

"It's been a terrible ordeal for him and his family, and at this point all he wants to do is move forward and try to put it behind him," Mayer said.

Prosecutors had argued Kelly's goddaughter was as young as 13 when the raunchy sex tape was made. But the goddaughter, who is now 23, told a grand jury that she was not the young woman on the tape and did not testify at trial.

While some jurors told reporters they believed Robert Kelly was indeed the man on the tape, they said they acquitted him because they were not convinced the young woman in question was his goddaughter.

"Mostly we focused on the girl," one juror who declined to be named told reporters. "Was this (his goddaughter)? We couldn't determine that."

The jurors deliberated for less than eight hours over the course of two days before reaching their verdict.

"What happened today when those verdicts started (was) you got to see the real Robert Kelly. He sat there and he was contrite. He sat there and he was crying," said defense lawyer Sam Adam.

"He sat there and was thanking God. All I heard the entire time those 14 verdicts were being read was thank you Jesus," Adam said, adding: "He is a deeply religious man."

Kelly (41) had faced up to 15 years in jail if found guilty in his five-week trial which opened on 9 May.

Asked how the publicity from the case which has dragged on for six and a half years had affected Kelly, lead defense attorney Ed Genson replied: "He seems to be selling a lot of records."

The singer, songwriter and producer has sold more than 12 million records since his arrest, pumping out an album a year and collaborating with everyone from Celine Dion to Kid Rock.

Kelly, who grew up in a public housing estate on the South Side of Chicago and scored a massive hit with his 1997 tune 'I Believe I Can Fly', had three top 10 hit singles last year.

The long-awaited trial had faced a number of delays, including when Kelly suffered from a burst appendix, the judge broke his shoulder falling off a ladder and a lead prosecutor gave birth.

More than 50 pre-trial motions were also argued, including whether prosecutors could introduce an expert witness who would testify as to why victims of sexual abuse often deny they have been abused.

Prosecutors insisted that it was indeed Kelly and his goddaughter on the tape, but said they respected the jury's verdict and would not have argued their case any differently.

"Child pornography cases can be extremely difficult in many ways and one of those ways is that, at times and in certain circumstances, the victims may not consider themselves victims," State's Attorney Dick Devine told reporters.

"We as a community have to stand for them," he said. "If we receive similar evidence today or tomorrow we will bring that case."

Despite the controversy, Kelly continued to draw huge crowds to his shows and did not shy away from sexually charged lyrics and performances. His last major tour in 2006 earned $8.3-million.

"There's something about him and his music," Gail Mitchell, senior R&B correspondent for Billboard Magazine told AFP last month.

"He has his finger on the pulse of what's going on, what hot melodies people are going to want to hear."

AFP