R. Kelly Has Been Charged With 10 Counts Of Criminal Sexual Abuse

BREAKING: Singer R. Kelly charged with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/cgfE1Tl41Y

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 22, 2019

Is R. Kelly’s past finally catching up to him?

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that on Friday morning, R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County.

The singer’s attorney, Steven Greenberg, told the paper Friday that he hadn’t been told that his client had been charged.

A press conference is due to be held at 3 p.m. ET to announce the charges.

Attorney Michael Avenatti reportedly gave authorities a tape showing someone who appears to be R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl.

The man reportedly urinates on the victim and “refers to her body parts as 14 years old” https://t.co/4KoR7WB9Rg pic.twitter.com/vMLRo4LaUg

— Complex (@Complex) February 22, 2019

A spokesman at the Cook County clerk of court’s office has confirmed to ABC News that R. Kelly has indeed been charged with 10 counts of felony criminal sexual abuse involving four minors. The victims were all between between 13 and 16 years old. He has a court date March 8.

The singer has been facing multiple investigations from at least three different federal law enforcement agencies, looking at everything from his finances to his alleged relationships with underage girls and whether they had been trafficked, sources told ABC News.

Grand juries have begun hearing evidence in both the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the sources said.

The investigations, by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the IRS, have opened in the six weeks since Lifetime aired Surviving R. Kelly, a documentary series about the decades’ worth of misconduct allegations against the star.

R Kelly has been charged!!!! pic.twitter.com/vbqJDxSN7k

— Iforgoteverything (@kamomoshoeshoe) February 22, 2019

The agencies all declined to comment citing policies of not confirming or denying the existence of investigations. R Kelly’s attorney has said his client never intentionally had sex with an underage girl.

HSI is looking at potential crimes involving sex trafficking and child exploitation. The FBI and IRS are examining R Kelly’s finances. The existence of the investigations was first reported by The New Yorker.

As previously reported, on Thursday, two more women came forward to say R. Kelly had preyed on them as teens.

R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse. It only took them a lifetime but hey pic.twitter.com/YHDdNwGIBu

— The Honorable Joshua Chenault (@joshuachenault1) February 22, 2019

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