Controversial music artist R. Kelly finally has the law coming down on him after a series of serious allegations against him. On Friday, February 23, the R&B star was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois.
The news was first reported by the Chicago Sun Times.
TMZ added the details of the charges saying, “9 of the 10 counts involve alleged victims ranging in age from 13 to 16 years old. One of them is the subject of 4 different counts. There are a total of 4 alleged victims.”
In the state of Illinois, criminal sexual abuse is a class 2 felony with each charge carrying a max sentence of 3 to 7 years.
Kelly has been denied bail, the Associated Press reports.
The first court date for the 53-year-old singer is scheduled for March 8, according to reports. The charges come on the heels of a recent documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly,” where multiple women accused the singer of decades-long abuse.
In the aftermath of the documentary, Kelly was dumped from his record label.
Well-known attorney Michael Avenatti also recently claimed to have submitted a video of R. Kelly having sex with a minor to the Cook County state attorney’s office. Following the news of charges being handed down, Avenatti applauded the news.
“It’s over,” Avenatti tweeted. “After 25 years of serial sexual abuse and assault of underage girls, the day of reckoning for R Kelly has arrived.
Avenatti also said that he will be providing more information on the latest developments in the R. Kelly matter at a press conference scheduled in Chicago on Friday afternoon.
“We will discuss our investigation, new evidence and new developments in the R. Kelly matter at our press conf at 4:00 p.m. today local time at 800 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL,” Avenatti followed up. “This will follow the press conference of Kim Foxx.”
R. Kelly is preparing to turn himself into authorities on Friday night, according to TMZ.
