R. Kelly Charged With Even More Serious Sex Charges
CHICAGO (CBS) -- R. Kelly was charged with 11 new counts of sexual assault on Thursday. The charges are more serious than the ones that were leveled against him in February.
The new charges follow earlier allegations the singer sexually assaulted four women, three of them minors. These latest charges in the case center on one of those victims, identified as JP.
According to the indictment, R. Kelly engaged in sex acts with JP in January 2010 "by the use of force or threat of force and ... acted in such a manner as to threaten or endanger the life of JP."
The charges include aggravated criminal sex assault, criminal sex assault and aggravated criminal sex abuse. The four aggravated criminal sex assault charges are class X felonies and carry prison terms of up to 30 years if he's convicted.
R. Kelly charged with 11 additional counts of sexual abuse.
— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) May 30, 2019
Some of the charges are Class X felonies. The victims are between 13-16, according to court records. The charges include aggravated criminal sex assault, criminal sex assault and aggravated criminal sex abuse. https://t.co/WDabaeuiV7
Kelly is due in court on these allegation on June 6.
R. Kelly has been charged with 11 new counts related to aggravated criminal sex assault, criminal sex assault & aggravated criminal sex abuse of a victim between the ages of 13 and 16, according to court records @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/IqrszANbSK
— Megan Hickey (@MeganHickeyTV) May 30, 2019
In the charges in February, the star was hit with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
The charges in the previous case identify the victims only by initials, and the dates of the alleged abuse:
H.W. (13-16 years of age), victim of four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse between May 26, 1998, and May 25, 1999;
J.P. (13-16 years of age), victim of three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse between May 1, 2009, and Jan. 31, 2010;
R.L. (13-16 years of age), victim of two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse between Sept. 26, 1998, and Sept. 25, 2001;
L.C. (no age given), victim of one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on Feb. 18, 2003.
#RKelly was NOT charged with a new case. He was recharged in an existing case, same alleged victim and time (a decade ago) It changes nothing
— Steve Greenberg (@SGcrimlaw) May 30, 2019
Two of Kelly's defense attorneys, Steve Greenberg and Raed Shalabi, said the new charges are not really new and center on the same alleged conduct, just charged differently.