R&B singer R. Kelly has been indicted by the Cook County State’s Attorney office in Illinois, charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Three of the four alleged victims involved in the charges are minors, Foxx said. Three incidents allegedly occurred between 1998 and 2003, while the fourth was between 2009 and 2010. A judge approved a no-bail arrest warrant for Kelly Friday morning.
A grand jury was convened in Cook County following new allegations against the musician. This was just after lawyer Michael Avenatti said he turned over a tape that appears to show Kelly having sex with an underage girl, although it’s not clear if the charges were related to this tape.
Kelly has long faced accusations of sexual abuse from dozens of women, leading to a #MuteRKelly movement calling for his alleged behavior to be brought to light. Shortly after a docuseries called “Surviving R. Kelly” aired in January, Sony ceased its relationship with the artist. Music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora have also stopped promoting Kelly’s music.
Kelly has faced sex crime charges in Cook County before, when prosecutors tried him for child pornography in 2008. At the time, Kelly, who has long maintained his innocence, was acquitted.
