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R. Kelly Charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault

HeadlineFeb 25, 2019

R. Kelly is expected to appear in a Chicago court today, after he was arrested and charged Friday with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. The charges involve four women and girls, three of whom were under the age of 17 at the time of the alleged crimes. A judge set bail at a million dollars—which R. Kelly, who is still in jail, has not yet been able to make—and forced the singer to surrender his passport. Lawyer Michael Avenatti, who says he is representing an R. Kelly whistleblower, says he gave prosecutors a tape showing the singer engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl.

The arrest follows two decades of accusations against R. Kelly, who has never been criminally convicted. Last month, the explosive documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” thrust the case back into the spotlight. Activists have been calling for justice for the black girls and women preyed on by R. Kelly and for the music industry to disassociate itself from the musician, with the #MuteRKelly campaign.

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