R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County, Illinois, the Chicago Sun-Times, TMZ, The Blast, and the Chicago Tribune’s Megan Crepeau report. According to the Sun-Times, Kelly is due in court on March 8. Cook County State’s Attorney Kimberly Foxx will detail the charges against Kelly today (February 22) at a press conference at 3 p.m. Eastern. Pitchfork has contacted R. Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg.
R. Kelly continues to face allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct, most recently outlined in the Lifetime series “Surviving R. Kelly.” Last week, it was reported that a videotape that allegedly shows Kelly sexually assaulting an underage girl was handed over to Kimberly Foxx. In January, after Lifetime aired “Surviving R. Kelly,” Foxx held a press conference during which she encouraged any survivors and witnesses with information about Kelly to contact her office in order to initiate an investigation.
R. Kelly and his lawyer have continually denied the allegations.
His first court date is listed as March 8, according to records.
Michael Avenatti, a well known attorney who said he recently provided a videotape of R. Kelly having sex with a minor to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, applauded prosecutors for filing charges. It is unclear if the charges are related to the videotape the attorney provided.
“The day of reckoning has arrived” for R Kelly, Avenatti said in a tweet.