Federal prosecutors have brought forth new allegations against R. Kelly in his sex trafficking case, and are asking for the ability to present the information to jurors at his upcoming trial in New York.
In a court filing on Friday, obtained by the Associated Press, prosecutors brought forth a wide variety of new bribery and sexual abuse claims, including an allegation that Kelly had sexual contact with an underage boy. Throughout the case, Kelly has denied the allegations of abuse. Legal representatives for Kelly did not immediately respond toPvNew‘s request for comment regarding the new allegations.
As reported by the Associated Press, the filing states that Kelly met the 17-year-old boy in 2006 at a McDonald’s, and invited him to attend a party at his house. The boy attended, along with his mother and stepfather, and Kelly then invited the boy to his studio after learning of his musical aspirations. The prosecutors then allege that Kelly asked the boy “what he was willing to do to succeed in the music business” and had sexual contact with him.
Among other claims, the filing also alleges that following the release of the “Surviving R. Kelly” docuseries in February 2019, a “crisis manager” for Kelly bribed a Cook County clerk with $2,500 to obtain information about Kelly’s legal troubles. The filing alleges that Kelly was aware of the bribe, according to a recording of a conversation between the two that was recovered during a search of Kelly’s phone.
Though the new allegations do not translate to new charges for Kelly, the prosecution is hoping they can be admitted as usable evidence in the trial. According to the Associated Press, Kelly is charged with leading a “criminal enterprise” that helped him recruit women and girls for sex and pornography. The current charges against Kelly involve six anonymous women and girls.
