R. Kelly Charged: Fast Facts About The Singer's Federal Charges Of Racketeering, Sex Trafficking
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Federal prosecutors in New York have filed new sex crimes charges against R. Kelly, in a racketeering indictment accusing him of holding women and girls against their will, forcing them to follow strict rules, sexually abusing girls, and not telling them he had sexually transmitted disease.
Allegations of sexual abuse and sexual assault against Kelly date back nearly two decades, and through the recent Lifetime documentary series "Surviving R. Kelly," feds in New York realized some of his acts happened there.
"It wasn't until the docuseries put again a spotlight on this type of activity that our agents assigned to the trafficking in persons unit – that are very experienced – decided to take a hard look at it," said Angel Melendez, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New York. "One of the victims that was included in the indictment, as recent as last year, was brought here to New York so he could carry out his nefarious sexual acts with her, including not informing her of a sexually transmitted disease."
Here are some of the key allegations in the indictment in New York:
1. Kelly is faces a racketeering charge accusing him of kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a child, forced labor, and transporting minors across state lines to perform criminal sexual acts.
2. Federal prosecutors allege Kelly and his managers, bodyguards, and other employees acted as a criminal enterprise to recruit women and girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with Kelly.
3. Kelly and his enterprise would pick out women and girls who attended his concerts and other events; and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly. He would later hold them against their will.
4. Once the women and girls Kelly had picked started staying with him, he and his employees would set rules his victims had to follow, including not leaving their rooms without Kelly's permission, even to eat or go to the bathroom; not looking at other men; to wear baggy clothing whenever they weren't with him; demanding absolute commitment to Kelly; and calling the singer "Daddy."
5. Kelly allegedly coerced some of the girls he'd abused to engage in sexually explicit conduct on video, which he later had shipped across state lines.
In March, CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King grilled R&B superstar R. Kelly on allegations he had sex with underage girls and asks him about a so-called "black room" at the singer's former home where it's alleged unspeakable sexual acts took place.
WATCH: R. Kelly Exclusive: Singer Angrily Denies Sex Charges
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