R. Kelly is facing 11 new charges of sexual abuse and assault, according to court documents filed by Cook County Illinois prosecutors on Thursday. Four of these charges are Class X charges, which the Chicago Tribune described as “the most serious class of felony in Illinois, short of murder.” Each count carries a sentence of up to 30 years.
The new round of charges include four counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of criminal sexual assault by force, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and three counts of criminal sexual abuse of an underage victim between the ages of 13 to 16. Although the court filing is short on details, the charges are related to an encounter which allegedly occurred in 2010. The Chicago Sun notes that the charges might not be related to a new victim as the initials used in the filing match a victim from a previous complaint.
Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg told the Sun that he received that he’s aware of the new charges but hasn’t seen the court docs. “We’ll see what the charges are, and we’ll proceed accordingly,” he said. “I know this much: it’s old. They’re allegations from years ago.”
Kelly was released on a $1 million bond in February after being charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse based on the allegations of four women, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged incidents. The 52-year-old singer has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
