Christine Haveford
R&B singer R. Kelly has been arrested in Chicago.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” artist was indicted by a grand jury on 13 federal counts, including sex crimes. Kelly is already facing sexual abuse charges brought by Illinois prosecutors, according to CNN.
Sources say the 52-year-old was detained while walking his dog at around 7pm.
U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman Joseph Fitzpatrick said the “Ignition” singer was taken into custody and was being held by federal authorities.
“The counts include child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that further details would be released later Friday.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website, Kelly is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago.
The Grammy winning singer is expected to be brought to New York by the NYPD and Homeland Security Investigation agents, reported News 4.
R.Kelly – full name Robert Sylvester Kelly – pleaded not guilty to 11 new sex assault charges last month.
Inside the court room, prosecutors handed over a DVD allegedly showing Kelly having sex with an underage female.
The disturbing video is thought to have been filmed in the 1990s.
It was obtained by lawyer Michael Avenatti back in February, and reportedly shows the singer sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl.
In total, Kelly has now pleaded not guilty to 21 sexual abuse charges since February.
His charges relate to four different women, three of whom were underage when the alleged crimes took place. Among the 11 new counts are four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, which carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
Rumors of R. Kelly’s predilection for young girls have been circulating for years.
Several of Kelly’s alleged victims spoke about their experience in the Lifetime documentary, Surviving R. Kelly.
In March, Kelly sat down with CBS’s Gayle King for an explosive interview in which he denied all accusations of abuse.
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