New allegations of sexual assault have surfaced against R. Kelly, TMZ reports.
On Wednesday (March 6), the embattled R&B singer was arrested in Chicago after failing to pay almost $200,000 in unpaid child support. His arrest came hours after his explosive interview with CBS “This Morning” host Gayle King where the “I Admit” singer denied accusations of ever having sexual relationships with minors over the years. “They are lying on me,” he told King.
Now, yet another woman has reportedly come forward with claims that Kelly engaged in underaged sexual relationship with her when she was just 13 years old. Chief James Craig of the Detroit Police Department confirmed the report to TMZ. According to Craig, the department was tipped off by Chicago PD about the victim “who made allegations of a criminal sexual conduct incident against R. Kelly.”
Detroit PD believes the incident between Kelly and the unidentified woman first took place in Detroit in December 2001. “Based on the information received we have made several attempts to follow up with the victim,” Police Chief Craig said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday evening. “We have reached out, at the direction of the victim, to her lawyer and we are eagerly waiting to speak to her concerning the allegations. Right now, we have not made contact with her.”
According to CBS Chicago, the new victim alleges she was introduced to Kelly through his assistant and had sex with him in a hotel on Dec. 30, 2001, and again at a recording studio a few weeks later. The victim, now 30, also claims she traveled to Atlanta and continued their sexual relationship for four years before contracting herpes from Kelly at the age of 17.
The latest allegations come just weeks after the Grammy Award-winning singer was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Chicago. Kelly turned himself into authorities and pleaded not guilty to the charges on Monday (Feb. 25).
If found guilty of all 10 counts, not including the recent allegations, Kelly faces up to 70 years in prison.