R&B singer R. Kelly pressed through a throng of reporters on Friday night to surrender to Chicago Police on sexual abuse charges.
Kelly, who is expected to appear in a Chicago bond court on Saturday, is accused of 10 charges of sexual abuse involving four accusers, between 1998 and 2010. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Wearing a blue, puffy jacket, Kelly listened as reporters shouted questions, entered the police station and was handcuffed and led away. Here’s video:
R&B singer R. Kelly just surrendered himself to Chicago police as he faces charges of aggravated sexual abuse of four victims. He was handcuffed and led away. pic.twitter.com/mOh0SHHug9
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) February 23, 2019
Prosecutors say that three accusers were under 17 at the time of the offenses, and Kelly was more than five years older.
Kim Foxx, State’s Attorney for Cook Count, has said that Kelly is accused of incidents involving another accuser, identified as H.W., from May 26, 1998 to May 25, 1999. Those accusations resulted in an indictment on four counts.
According to Foxx, Kelly is accused of an incident with a second accuser, identified as R.L., between Sept. 26, 1998 and Sept. 25, 2001. Those accusations resulted in an indictment on two counts.
My announcement of indictments charging R. Kelly. pic.twitter.com/J3uQA5wbZF
— Kim Foxx (@SAKimFoxx) February 22, 2019
Kelly was indicted on three more counts for incidents prosecutors said involved another victim, identified as L.P., from May 1, 2009 and Jan. 31.
In the instance of a fourth accuser, identified by Foxx as L.C., an indictment on one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse was handed down based on transmission of semen on the body of the accuser for the purpose of sexual gratification. That incident, the prosecution said, occurred on Feb. 18, 2003.
The charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse is a Class 2 felony, Foxx said, carrying a sentencing range of three to seven years per count.
Although Kelly was acquitted on child pornography charges in 2008, sexual misconduct accusations involving the singer have continued to surface. The recent documentary “Surviving R. Kelly” has led to renewed scrutiny.