R. Kelly has reportedly been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse by the Cook County State’s attorney on Friday (Feb. 22), The Chicago Sun-Times reports.
At least four out of the ten charges involve victims who were between the ages of 13 and 16 years old.
A grand jury convened nearly one week ago to investigate a VHS sex tape that was handed over to authorities. The tape allegedly showed Kelly having sex with a girl that appeared to be 14 years old.
Additionally, as many as a dozen sexual assault accusers came forward to testify in the case against the R&B singer, TMZ reports. Two women in particular confirmed that Kelly previously engaged in sexual acts with minors.
Kelly’s years of alleged sexual misconduct gained nationwide attention after Lifetime aired Surviving R. Kelly in Jan. 2019. The explosive docuseries included commentary from Kelly’s former employees, accusers, and some of their families, all discussing his past and present indiscretions. The series sparked the viral #MuteRKelly movement on social media and prompted him to part ways with his record label RCA.
A judge is expected to sign a warrant for his arrest later today. In the state of Illinois, aggravated criminal sexual abuse is considered a Class 2 felony. If convicted, Kelly could serve 3-7 years per charge. Kelly’s court date is set for Mar. 8, 2019.
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