R. Kelly now has two more charges added to his already long list, after prosecutors in Minnesota said he hired a teenage girl to engage in sexual activity.
In a press conference on Monday, Hennepin’s County State Attorney Mike Freeman said the alleged incident occurred on July 11, 2001, in Minneapolis when the accuser was between 16 and 17 years old. He said after she approached Kelly for an autograph, the singer paid her $200 to disrobe and have “sexual contact” in his hotel room, which included dancing.
But Freeman said there was no sexual intercourse between the singer and teen, and authorities learned of the crime through a Chicago tip line.
Kelly has been charged with two counts of engaging in prostitution with a person under 18 years old and offering to hire someone for sexual purposes.
But Freeman said it’ll be difficult to find him guilty since both the alleged incident and evidence is 20 years old. He also explained why it’s important for him to charge Kelly, even though he’s already facing sex crime charges elsewhere.
“Frankly, Minnesota victims deserve their day in court, and that’s why we’re here,” Freeman explained. “In my view, too many prosecutors are ignoring victims. This one doesn’t.”
Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg already responded to the charges and tweeted “Give me a break. This is beyond absurd.”
Just days ago, the disgraced singer was brought to a Brooklyn, New York, courtroom by U.S. marshals to face a five-count indictment that includes racketeering and sexual trafficking.
A judge denied Kelly’s bond in that case and ordered him to remain in custody, which is the same thing a Chicago judge did last month, where Kelly is facing a 13-count indictment.
Some of the charges in that case include obstruction of justice, child pornography and enticement of a minor. He’s also facing 21 sexual misconduct charges lodged by the state of Illinois, and he’s pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
The accuser in the Minnesota case is being represented by famed lawyer Gloria Allred.
