Singer R. Kelly charged with sexually abusing teenage girls

[rooster59]

Singer R. Kelly charged with sexually abusing teenage girls

By Suzannah Gonzales

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. vocalist, songwriter and producer R. Kelly performs on the final day of the St Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival at Pigeon Island National Landmark, May 12, 2013. REUTERS/Andrea De Silva

 

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer R. Kelly was charged on Friday with criminal sexual abuse of at least three teenagers under age 17, the local state's attorney said, following years of allegations against the 52-year-old R&B singer.

 

An attorney for the singer did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.

 

Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx, at a news conference in Chicago announcing the charges, said Kelly was expected to appear in court on Saturday for a bond hearing on the 10 counts he was charged with under a grand jury indictment. Three of the four victims he allegedly abused between 1998 and 2010 were under age 17 at the time, Foxx said.

 

At least two of the alleged victims were girls, while the gender of the other two was not clear from the court documents.

 

The age of the fourth was not provided. Kelly was accused of sexual misconduct during an attempted sexual assault in that incident.

 

In the indictments involving the other three alleged victims, Foxx said the grand jury indicted him on charges of aggravated criminal abuse, based on the victims being under 17 and Kelly being more than five years older.

 

Kelly, whose real name is Robert Kelly, faces three to seven years in prison on each count, Foxx said.At a news conference in January, Foxx had called for anyone alleging abuse by the singer to come forward so their claims could be investigated. She made the remarks after the six-hour documentary "Surviving R. Kelly" was aired on Lifetime television. In the documentary, multiple women made allegations of sexual misconduct against the performer.

 

"We are proud that Lifetime was able to provide a platform for survivors to be heard," the cable network said in a statement following the charges.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS

 

The "Surviving R. Kelly" documentary in January set off a furore on social media. Singer Lady Gaga, who had recorded a duet with Kelly, vowed to never collaborate with him again.

 

Twitter erupted again on Friday over the latest charges.

 

"It took this long to indict R.Kelly because the victims are Black girls," political analyst Zerlina Maxwell, who describes herself as a survivor of sexual assault, wrote on Twitter.

 

Kelly, singer of "I Believe I Can Fly" and a record producer as well, has for years denied accusations of abuse, including those made in the documentary. In 2008, he was tried and acquitted on child pornography charges in Chicago.

 

Kelly's record label, Sony Music-owned RCA, split with the Chicago native last month after activists from the #MuteRKelly pressure group delivered a petition signed by some 217,000 people to Sony headquarters in New York City asking the record company to drop Kelly.

 

Kelly, a three-time Grammy winner whose hits also include "Bump N’ Grind" and "Your Body's Callin," grew up in a Chicago public housing project where, according to his autobiography - "The Soulacaster: The Diary of Me" - he was sexually abused beginning at age 8 by a woman who was 10 years older.

 

He struggled academically as a boy and dropped out of high school. He later got his musical break on a television talent show and released his first album in 1992.

 

Separately last month, a former manager for the singer turned himself in to authorities in Georgia, where he was wanted on a charge of making threats against one of the families that took part in the Lifetime documentary.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-23

[Rimmer]

Some troll posts and replies have been removed

[unamazedloso]

#metoo probably influenced this. Not sure why its taken so long. I guess it was inevitable This douche will be soon done with hopefully. 

[Puchaiyank]

Entertainers are not above the law...he deserves the benefit of the doubt...if guilt...throw the book at him!

[sawadee1947]

Head chopped for those animals 

[dunroaming]

I am sure there are a lot of very twitchy performers out there trying to recall all those drunken/drug fuelled encounters they have had backstage or elsewhere.

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

I am sure there are a lot of very twitchy performers out there trying to recall all those drunken/drug fuelled encounters they have had backstage or elsewhere.

I wasn't there, I didn't do it ...... normally works with a justice system that requires evidence and due process.

[HLover]

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

following years of allegations against the 52-year-old R&B singer.

Better late than never, those wheels of Justice turn a bit slower for the wealthy.

 

[sammieuk1]

Who's R Kelly would be my question but reading the story I'm glad I don't know????

[Prissana Pescud]

24 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I wasn't there, I didn't do it ...... normally works with a justice system that requires evidence and due process.

Fake news is the slogan you were looking for. Works for some.

[OneMoreFarang]

I think pedophiles who mess around with children should go to jail. Or even better: they should get a drastic hormone therapy to make sure they never even want to do it again.

 

But sex with a teenager, maybe with 16 or 17? Is that really such a big crime? In some countries it is obviously illegal. But in other countries it's not. As far as I know many, probably most, teenagers have sex at that age. They are definitely not children anymore.

 

It seems R. Kelly did what lots of us would like to do if we could do it: Have sex with lots of pretty young girls.

Not long ago I read an interview with one of those "victims". He invited her to lots of his concerts, spent time with her, gave her lots of presents, etc. Then later she moved in his house. And then she was upset that he didn't want that any of his girls play with their mobile phones when they were near him. She was really upset and she decided to leave. He saw her leaving and he wished her good luck.

And then she complained what a bad guy he was and he ruined years of her life...

She could have walked away anytime, but she didn't.

 

If he forced anyone to have sex with him then I think he should be punished and probably go to jail. But if lots of girls decided they want to stay with him and have sex with him, and he didn't hold them against their will, should he go to jail for that?

[OneMoreFarang]

23 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Who's R Kelly would be my question but reading the story I'm glad I don't know????

 

[HLover]

29 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Who's R Kelly would be my question but reading the story I'm glad I don't know????

Seems he makes modern music for the feeble minded.

[sammieuk1]

4 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Ok thanks now at least I know why I don't know him ????

[dunroaming]

23 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But sex with a teenager, maybe with 16 or 17? Is that really such a big crime? In some countries it is obviously illegal. But in other countries it's not. As far as I know many, probably most, teenagers have sex at that age. They are definitely not children anymore.

I certainly started having sex in my early teens with girls in their early teens.  Quite a lot of fumbling and learning as we went along but nothing unnatural about that at all.  However that is both parties being of the same age which is quite different from older men exploiting the naivety of the younger girls.

 

I agree that 16 or 17 is a perfectly acceptable age, even with an older guy but with Kelly there are examples of at least one thirteen year old and that is pushing the envelope too far. 

[Prissana Pescud]

55 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think pedophiles who mess around with children should go to jail. Or even better: they should get a drastic hormone therapy to make sure they never even want to do it again.

 

But sex with a teenager, maybe with 16 or 17? Is that really such a big crime? In some countries it is obviously illegal. But in other countries it's not. As far as I know many, probably most, teenagers have sex at that age. They are definitely not children anymore.

 

It seems R. Kelly did what lots of us would like to do if we could do it: Have sex with lots of pretty young girls.

Not long ago I read an interview with one of those "victims". He invited her to lots of his concerts, spent time with her, gave her lots of presents, etc. Then later she moved in his house. And then she was upset that he didn't want that any of his girls play with their mobile phones when they were near him. She was really upset and she decided to leave. He saw her leaving and he wished her good luck.

And then she complained what a bad guy he was and he ruined years of her life...

She could have walked away anytime, but she didn't.

 

If he forced anyone to have sex with him then I think he should be punished and probably go to jail. But if lots of girls decided they want to stay with him and have sex with him, and he didn't hold them against their will, should he go to jail for that?

How old is this "musician". Either way, having sex with a 13 year old does not quite make your argument plausible.

I see you often push the issue with people having sex with underage immature girls. You got a problem?

[emptypockets]

I met my first wife in a pub. She looked and acted a lot older than her 14 years.  I was 21.

We went on to have a good marriage of 23 years and two great kids.

Don't crucify this guy just yet.

I recall many years ago a guy got busted for under age sex.  The girl turned up in court in her school clothes looking all sweet and innocent. Apparently she was ordered to go and change into what she was wearing on the night the alleged offence occurred,complete with makeup.

Charge was dropped.

[Kasane]

Let justice take its course. If he is being framed hope he gets out of it. If he is guilty, hope he gets what's coming.

 

Speaking of which I am still waiting for charges to be filed against the pedophile cardinal and his ilk.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Prissana Pescud said:

I see you often push the issue with people having sex with underage immature girls. You got a problem?

No, I don't have a problem with pretty young girls. I like them. And I make sure they are legal to avoid problems.

 

I have a problem with people who pretend 16 or 17 year old teenager are children who have no idea about sex.

Berlusconi's playmate Ruby is a wonderful example. So innocent...

 

I also have a problem with girls who know exactly what they are doing and who use their sexuality to get what they want but later pretend they were a victim. That sounds hollow to the real sex crime victims who exist and who should get help.

 

Let's see which facts the prosecutors will find in this case. And if he had sex with a 13 year old then sure he should be severely punished for that. But in this age of MeToo there seem to be a lot more accusations, often without evidence, than facts.

[SheungWan]

Maybe some of the guys above lining up to excuse R. Kelly should first bother to listen to his daughter who has described him as a 'monster'.

[daveAustin]

I bet he wishes he could fly.

[Prissana Pescud]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

No, I don't have a problem with pretty young girls. I like them. And I make sure they are legal to avoid problems.

 

I have a problem with people who pretend 16 or 17 year old teenager are children who have no idea about sex.

Berlusconi's playmate Ruby is a wonderful example. So innocent...

 

I also have a problem with girls who know exactly what they are doing and who use their sexuality to get what they want but later pretend they were a victim. That sounds hollow to the real sex crime victims who exist and who should get help.

 

Let's see which facts the prosecutors will find in this case. And if he had sex with a 13 year old then sure he should be severely punished for that. But in this age of MeToo there seem to be a lot more accusations, often without evidence, than facts.

You seem to have a deluded attitude to under age sex.

Children in this age group may have all of the attributes of a mature person but they have no lifetime experience

of what they may be doing, how it will affect their lives and especially how much impact

this will have on their mental state in later years. I have seen what a young girl who lead a wanton life suffered later.

But it is only by people with a like mind set as you who cause the problems. Older men having sex with young girls.

Bet your ego is really high. Can't chat up a chick your own age. And no wonder.

 

 

[Prissana Pescud]

4 hours ago, emptypockets said:

I met my first wife in a pub. She looked and acted a lot older than her 14 years.  I was 21.

We went on to have a good marriage of 23 years and two great kids.

Don't crucify this guy just yet.

I recall many years ago a guy got busted for under age sex.  The girl turned up in court in her school clothes looking all sweet and innocent. Apparently she was ordered to go and change into what she was wearing on the night the alleged offence occurred,complete with makeup.

Charge was dropped.

You what. This guy has had multiple sex with multiple underage girls. 

Including a 13 year old. And he had no intention of marriage, just exploitative sex with underage young GIRLS.

You for real

[HLover]

13 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

You what. This guy has had multiple sex with multiple underage girls. 

Including a 13 year old. And he had no intention of marriage, just exploitative sex with underage young GIRLS.

You for real

No, he's a douchebag.

[OneMoreFarang]

8 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

You seem to have a deluded attitude to under age sex.

Children in this age group may have all of the attributes of a mature person but they have no lifetime experience

of what they may be doing, how it will affect their lives and especially how much impact

this will have on their mental state in later years. I have seen what a young girl who lead a wanton life suffered later.

But it is only by people with a like mind set as you who cause the problems. Older men having sex with young girls.

Bet your ego is really high. Can't chat up a chick your own age. And no wonder.

Look at evolution: Men in general prefer young pretty girls. The biological reason for young is that they are fit for survival and the reason for pretty are good genes. That's biology, instinct. You can pretend it does not exist or you can pretend modern people don't have these "historic" desires but it's just a fact. Men of any age desire pretty young girls. In some societies like Thailand it's still accepted. In some "modern" countries the feminists made sure that every man with a young girls is labeled "pedophile".

 

I find the idea about chatting up a "chick" of my own age ridiculous. I don't want to have sex with an old woman! But if you like them go ahead. Many of the old women are desperate for any guy who wants to touch them. I am sure they will be happy about your attention.

 

I stay with my preference for girl in their early twenties and legal teenagers (I don't call them children) and leave the old women for you and others who want them. ????