Prosecutors accuse R. Kelly of abusing teenage boy in new court filing

Content warning: This story contains discussion and description of sexual abuse.

Federal prosecutors have made new court filings with further allegations of sexual abuse against R. Kelly, including a claim the musician abused a teenage boy.

As reported by the Associated Press, this claim is part of a new raft of allegations prosecutors informed the court of on Friday (July 23), with a dozen people claiming Kelly sexually or physically abused, threatened or otherwise mistreated them.

The teenage boy in question, who was also an aspiring musician, allegedly met Kelly at a McDonald’s in late 2006 before Kelly invited him back to his Chicago studio.

Kelly allegedly asked the boy what he would do to make it in the music business. Kelly allegedly proceeded to have sexual contact with the 17-year-old.

The 17-year-old also introduced Kelly to another teenage male friend of his, with prosecutors alleging that Kelly engaged in a sexual relationship with the friend some years later. Kelly also allegedly filmed both men in sexual encounters with others, including some of Kelly’s own partners.

The boy was also allegedly in contact with Kelly in 2008 when the singer was on trial for child pornography charges, telling Kelly he had contact with a juror on the case. Kelly reportedly instructed the youth to get his contact to vouch for him, asking to be described as a “good guy”. Kelly was later acquitted of those charges.

Prosecutors argue that these new allegations would show the crimes Kelly is charged with “were not isolated events and were part of a larger pattern”. The new allegations do not translate into new charges for Kelly.

Prosecutors want the claims heard by jurors at Kelly’s trial next month, after it was postponed earlier this year due to COVID-19.

He’s set to face trial in New York on charges including child sexual exploitation, making indecent images of minors, racketeering and obstruction of justice. The jury selection process begins on August 9.

Kelly has yet to respond to these new claims, though his lawyers were reportedly notified of the court filing on Saturday (July 24). He has historically denied any allegations of abuse, and has pleaded not guilty to all charges made against him.

Currently held in a metropolitan detention center in Brooklyn, Kelly will also face court in the city of Chicago this September for charges of child pornography and obstruction, after that date was also delayed due to COVID-19.

The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer was first taken into custody in early 2019 on 10 charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He was later arrested again in July that year, after being indicted on 13 charges by federal officers.

In April of last year, Kelly’s lawyers filed a motion for him to be released on bail from prison due to fears he would catch COVID-19 in prison, but the appeal was rejected. He also launched a second separate bail appeal that same month.

Kelly also had another bail request rejected in September of last year, after reports emerged that Kelly had been physically assaulted in jail.