Facing 10 Counts Of Sexual Abuse, Singer R Kelly In Custody

R Kelly

Embattled R&B superstar R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse Friday in Cook County, Ill.

The charges come a week after the surfacing of a video that allegedly shows the singer sexually assaulting an underage girl, reports The L-A Times.

The 52-year-old performer is accused of sexually abusing four victims, according to court records.

Nine of the counts specify that the victim was 13 to 16 years old. In another count that did not specify the victim’s age, the singer is accused of sexual contact by the use or threat of force.

A no-bail arrest warrant was issued Friday on the charges, which are Class 2 felonies. A bond hearing was set for Saturday.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Kelly turned himself in at a Chicago police precinct late Friday, and was to remain in custody until his hearing on Saturday afternoon.

Chicago’s top prosecutor, Cook County State’s Atty. Kim Foxx, said the sentencing range for aggravated sexual assault is up to seven years in prison. If Kelly is convicted on all 10 counts, he could face up to 70 years in prison. Probation is also an option under statute.

For two decades, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has been trailed by lurid allegations of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls — which he has vehemently denied.

He was acquitted of child pornography charges at a 2008 trial. The dates of the alleged abuse from Friday’s charges span from 1998 to 2003. Illinois has no statute of limitations on child sex abuse charges.

Last week, it was reported that prosecutors in Illinois were moving to indict the singer on charges related to a 45-minute video allegedly showing the singer performing multiple sex acts with an underage girl — both the man and the girl in the video referred to her genitalia in graphic terms as being 14 years old. The video was given to the Cook County state’s attorney office by celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti.