He was eventually caught by the justice. The american singer R. Kelly, accused of multiple sexual assaults from decades, surrendered Friday night to authorities after being charged with ten counts of sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. Three of the four alleged victims were minors. His lawyer has immediately spoken of lies, accusing these women of wanting to “take advantage” of his client. The star of R&B 52 years of age, against whom an arrest warrant had been issued, came in a police station in Chicago in the evening.
His bail was set Saturday at a million dollars, at a hearing in a court in Chicago. He will have to pay 10% of this amount, or $ 100,000, to be released. Prosecutors have this opportunity to clarify the holding of the DNA evidence against him.
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“All these women are lying”
The day before, Kimberly Foxx, the attorney of Cook county, which encompasses Chicago, city of origin and residence of R. Kelly, was shelled during a press conference on the charges against Robert Sylvester Kelly, whose real name. Each of the ten heads of sexual abuse compounded is punishable by a sentence of 3 to 7 years in prison. According to the prosecutor, the alleged crimes ranging from 1998 to 2010 and relate to four victims, including three minors under the age of 17 years. A responsible court of Cook county, in the State of Illinois, moreover, indicated to the AFP that these minors were aged from 13 to 16 years old at the time. R. Kelly must appear in court on 8 march, she said.
The lawyer of the singer, Steve Greenberg, came in front of the press to the accusers. “Yes, I think that all these women are lying, he said. Everyone tries to exploit R. Kelly (…). Unfortunately, the prosecutor has succumbed to the public pressure.M. Kelly is strong, it has a lot of support and he will be exonerated of all these charges, one by one”, he launched.
persistent Accusations
R. Kelly is accused of crimes of this type for decades. He had been charged in 2002 for having filmed sexual acts between him and a young girl of 14 years, but eventually acquitted in 2008. The singer, one of the biggest american celebrities of the 1990s, was briefly married, in 1994, with the young star of a 15-year-old Aaliyah, whose parents had then made to cancel the wedding. The singer and actress died in a plane crash in 2001.
Despite the charges, R. Kelly has always seemed to pass between the drops and escape the popular vengeance, thanks to a loyal public that has continued to support. In a context of post #MeToo, it is income in the turmoil with the release earlier this year of a documentary involving multiple sexual assaults, including of girls under the age of 16 years. An investigation has been opened in New York and the record company Sony Music has put an end to the contract between its subsidiary RCA the interpreter I Believe I Can Fly.
last week, the very media lawyer Michael Avenatti, who defends in particular the actress pornographic Stormy Daniels in the dispute between president Donald Trump, had explained to be in possession of a new video showing R. Kelly having a sexual relationship with a minor. He had also explained to have followed this “new video proof of establishing the guilt” of the singer to the attorney of Cook county, which has accused R. Kelly.
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“It is finished, said Mr. Avenatti Friday on Twitter.After 25 years of sexual abuse and serial assaults on minor girls, it is time for R. Kelly to be accountable,” added the one who said to represent two alleged victims of the singer. During a press conference, the lawyer has also indicated that it had transmitted to the prosecutor Foxx a second record and to be on the point to retrieve a third. Michael Avenatti has also said they want to prosecute the members of the entourage of the artist, which he views as complicit in what appears more like a well-oiled machine. CNN has seen the first video transmitted by Mr. Avenatti to the authorities. “We see a naked man who appears to be R. Kelly having multiple sexual intercourse with the girl”, had described the american chain, said that the girl resembled her genitals and explaining that they had “14 years”.
