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New Accuser Says R. Kelly Gave Her an STD, “Groomed” Her to Join Sex Cult

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 07: R. Kelly performs during The Buffet Tour at Allstate Arena on May 7, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

R. Kelly faces a new accusation of sexual misconduct from a woman who says the singer infected her with a sexually transmitted disease during an eight-month relationship beginning when she was 19 years old. The woman has filed a police report and is preparing a federal civil complaint, according to the Washington Post, which received information from the accuser’s attorney. The woman is not named in the Post‘s report; it’s not clear how old she is now, nor what disease she allegedly contracted.

The woman’s complaint states that she first met Kelly last June and engaged in a relationship that ended in February. Over those eight months, the complaint states that the woman “was the victim of several forms of criminal misconduct by Kelly, ­including, but not limited to, unlawful restraint, furnishing alcohol and illegal drugs to a minor, and aggravated assault (via the referenced intentional STD infection),” according to her attorney’s statement. The STD transmission allegedly took place in Dallas in December. Knowingly or intentionally infecting someone with an STD is generally illegal, though the severity of the offense can depend on jurisdiction and type of disease.

Through her lawyer, the woman further alleges that she was “being groomed to join Kelly’s sex cult,” allegations of which first arose last year when parents of two young women living with Kelly told Buzzfeed they believed their daughters were being manipulated, abused, and prevented from contacting family. “Kelly gradually introduced the cult to our client over the course of their relationship, culminating with an explanation that she would have to sign a contract and offer collateral information about herself and her family for Kelly’s protection,” the attorney’s statement continues. After the relationship with Kelly ended, the latest accuser reached out to the parents of a woman named in last year’s Buzzfeed report, who apparently advised her to get tested for STDs.

Kelly, who turned 51 in January, has faced accusations of sexual misconduct and grooming underage women for more than 20 years. Last year’s Buzzfeed report—by journalist Jim DeRogatis, who has covered Kelly closely since receiving an anonymous sex tape that ultimately led to Kelly’s acquittal on child porn charges in 2008—has led to intensified scrutiny. In the months since the explosive “cult” report, a former radio DJ has alleged similar sexual and psychological abuse, saying some victims were as young as 14. Another woman has said Kelly had sex with her while she was underage, then attempted to conceal the relationship by asking her to sign a false incriminating statement and a non-disclosure agreement.

Kelly has consistently denied all allegations of misconduct, including today’s. The attorney for the latest accuser is expected to hold a news conference in Dallas, where the police report was filed, on Wednesday.