Singer R. Kelly is facing more sex crime charges. According to prosecutors, the 52-year-old musician allegedly paid a teenage girl to have sexual contact with him in his Minnesota hotel room.
Kelly’s accuser, Gloria Allred, claims she met the entertainer at Minneapolis mall where she received his phone number and autograph, back in 2001. According to TMZ, Allred called the number she received and was told to go to a hotel suite where she was greeted by Kelly. In documents, Allred states that Kelly gave her $200 to dance, “helped her out of her clothing” and then proceeded to masturbate.
Immediately after the dance, Kelly allegedly said that he would see Allred at his concert. Allred explains that she attended as a guest because without the guest pass she wouldn’t be able to get in. Allred was not 18 years old at the time. If convicted, Kelly faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Kelly’s attorney, Douglas Anton, commented on the situation at hand. “Frankly I don’t understand where the criminal activity exists in this matter,” he said. “But I believe this highlights what has now become the absurdity of the bulk of the charges against our client.”
Last week, Kelly appeared in court where he pleaded not guilty to his five-count federal indictment, which includes racketeering and kidnapping in New York. Ultimately, the singer’s request for bail was denied. According to the federal indictment, Kelly manipulated minors to engage in sexual acts on camera. The five-count indictment is separate from the 13-count indictment that the Trapped in the Closet singer received in Chicago. During his hearing, Kelly’s lawyer argued that he should be granted bail because he is not a flight risk.
“Mr. Kelly presents no risk of flight,” Kelly’s lawyer argues. “He is a lifelong resident of Illinois. Mr. Kelly never missed a single court date, from 2002 to 2008, on his previous case. The court did not consider that Mr. Kelly appeared for each and every day of his trial and was present when the jury’s verdict was read.”