The singer, who is already facing heat for earlier indictments, has been charged for allegedly paying an underage girl to strip and then grope her in the Minnesota city in 2001, state prosecutors announced, worldwide reports stated.
The latest allegation involves an underage girl in Minneapolis in July 2001.
Freeman says the girl was trying to get an autograph from Kelly, and he gave her the autograph and a phone number. When she did she was invited to the singer's hotel, where she was eventually brought to Kelly's room by an associate and offered $200 to take off her clothes and dance, which she did.
"This kind of conduct, particularly with juveniles, is simply not acceptable in Minnesota or anywhere", Freeman said, adding that he suspected she and her brother didn't come forward until this year because they were embarrassed about what happened. She was 17 at the time. Asked how she got that close, the girl told of being lured to Kelly's room.
Steve Greenberg, Kelly's attorney in the Chicago case, wrote on Twitter that Hennepin County's decision to charge the singer was "beyond absurd". "While there are more numerous charges in the IL and federal cases, we wanted to make sure that our victim here in Minneapolis also receives a measure of justice".
"In my view", Freeman continued, "too many prosecutors are ignoring victims".
YouTube star Saffron Barker is the fourth Strictly Come Dancing 2019 contestant
The first five celebrities taking part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing have been announced. From Albert Square to the Strictly dance floor - I just can't wait!" I'm a huge fan of the show.
Kelly, 52, spent decades as one of the most successful hit-makers in R&B, despite constant rumors of a seemingly pathological attraction to underage girls. She called a law enforcement hotline with her account in January.
R. Kelly is now facing two new charges in Minnesota over incidents which allegedly occurred 18 years ago. He is now in federal custody pending trial. She told a news conference in Los Angeles on Monday that she was told the prostitution statute was the only one available to Minnesota authorities to charge Kelly in this case.
The Hennepin County prosecutor said the singer remained in custody in NY, "so exactly the time he will come to Minnesota is not clear".
Of the five unnamed women referenced in the indictment, three were minors.
The federal indictment in the northern district of IL outlines allegations by five additional victims and accuses Kelly of having sex with five minors in the late 1990s and early 2000s, recording some of the abuse on multiple videos.
Comments