CHICAGO, Ill. (R.
Kelly Fans Website /
Chicago Sun-Times) - The Cook County, Ill.,
State Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday (June 5) what many people following the news knew was inevitable: Felony child pornography charges have been filed against R&B superstar R. Kelly.
The singer - real name Robert Kelly - was indicted on 21 counts of violating child pornography laws, which in Illinois prohibits producing or disseminating child pornography or soliciting a minor to participate in sex acts on tape or film.
The charges against Kelly break down as follows: Seven counts of videotaping the sexual act, seven counts of producing the video, and seven counts of enticing an underage female into having sexual relations. The Class 1 felony charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
The indictment stems from allegations Kelly videotaped himself having sex with a 14-year-old female at his home in Chicago sometime between November of 1997 and February of this year. Kelly denied that he appears in any video having sex with an underage female in an interview with BET last month.
Kelly is not currently in Chicago and is expected to turn himself into police as soon as Thursday (June 6). In a statement released Wednesday, the singer called the charges unwarranted. "Even though I don't believe any of these charges are warranted, I'm grateful that I will have a chance to establish the truth about me in a court of law," said Kelly. "I have complete faith in our system of justice, and I am confident that when all the facts come out, people will see that I'm no criminal."
News of the tape in question originally broke in February when it was anonymously sent to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper and subsequently forwarded to Chicago police and the FBI. The FBI authenticated the tape, determining it was not doctored in any way, and a grand jury investigation was launched. Bootleg copies of the tape, marketed under the name R. Kelly Triple X, have been available on the Internet and streets across the U.S. ever since.
The indictment in the case comes less than a week after Montana "Tina" Woods filed a $50,000 invasion of privacy lawsuit in Cook County, Ill., Circuit Court against Kelly - the fourth woman to file a sexual-related civil suit against the singer in as many years.
In April, Kelly settled a $50,000 lawsuit by a former Epic Records intern who accused him of inducing her into a sexual relationship at the age of 17; and as far back as 1998, the singer settled out of court for a reported $250,000 with young woman who accused him of inducing her into group sex with other underage girls when she was 15.
Kelly also was briefly married to late R&B singer Aaliyah when she was only 15-years-old.
