R. Kelly Indicted On 10 Counts Of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse
R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois, according to court records reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times. Sources told the newspaper that prosecutors will seek a judge’s approval for an arrest warrant later today.
Last week, Jim DeRogatis reported for the New Yorker that Illinois prosecutors were preparing to indict Kelly after obtaining a newly discovered videotape that appears to show the singer having sex with an apparently underage girl. TMZ reported this morning that “as many as a dozen accusers” have testified before the grand jury in Illinois, including one alleged victim who testified and provided physical evidence showing that she was underage when she had sex with the singer between 2008 and 2010.
Prosecutors have also convened a grand jury to criminally charge Kelly in New York’s Southern District, according to a report last night by DeRogatis. The singer is reportedly under investigation by three different federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security for alleged sex trafficking.
The Sun-Times reports that Kelly’s first court date in his Cook County case is scheduled for 3/8.
UPDATE: TMZ reports that 9 of the 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involve victims ranging in age from 13 to 16 years old. There are four victims; one of them is the subject of four different counts.
Sources connected to Kelly say that the singer plans to voluntarily turn himself in to authorities tonight; prosecutors will still appear before a judge to seek an arrest warrant.
UPDATE: The AP reports that Kelly has turned himself in to Chicago police.
BREAKING: R&B singer R. Kelly has arrived at a Chicago police precinct.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 23, 2019
UPDATE 2: R. Kelly surrendered to police Friday night.
This article originally appeared on Spin.