Chicago Police/GettyR Kelly has been arrested after federal authorities opened a new case in the prosecution of the R&B star.
The 52-year-old was arrested on Thursday (July 11) in Chicago, with authorities hitting him with a new 13-count sex crime indictment, according to the US Attorney’s office.
According to US attorney spokesperson Joseph Fitzpatrick, the indictment against Kelly contains charges that revolve around child pornography and obstruction of justice.
ChicagoAs reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, it wasn’t immediately clear whether the new federal charges against Kelly were related to the charges filed against him earlier in 2019.
Although he was being held in federal custody, it also wasn’t clear where the 52-year-old was being held – or whether he will face a judge.
Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, confirmed the singer was arrested but declined further comment. As per ABC News, Kelly’s representative, Darrell Johnson, said he will hold a press conference at 9:30am Eastern time today (July 7).
These new charges are the latest in a number of legal issues for Kelly this year. The singer is also facing 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse involving four alleged victims.
These offences are alleged to have been committed against four females between the years 1998 and 2010, with three of the females being under the age of 17 when the alleged assaults took place.
The list of charges were initially released by Matt Masterson, a reporter for WTTW who attended the trial and had access to the state proffer against Kelly.
Masterson tweeted the charges against the singer at the time, which detailed the four separate indictments for each alleged victim.
You can take a look at the pictures below:
Read the state proffer against #RKelly here: pic.twitter.com/vlQLlCFXcO
— Matt Masterson (@ByMattMasterson) February 23, 2019
Earlier this year, Kelly pleaded not guilty to all charges against him – some of which date back to 1998.
As per ABC News, the 52-year-old last appeared in court on June 26, when prosecutors disclosed a VHS tape allegedly containing pornographic images of the singer with a minor.
Kelly has been free from jail since posting a $100,000 bond in February, living in an apartment in Trump Tower, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
PAIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 (12-2:30 and 7-9:30). Alternatively you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on its website or on its helpline – 0808 800 5005.
A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).