R. Kelly has been hit with two new charges by federal prosecutors in New York. According to TMZ, Kelly has been hit with a new indictment related to two new alleged victims, one of whom was under 18 when she had sex with R. Kelly in 2015. The indictment includes charges of coercion and enticement, coercion of a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines. The woman who was a minor is listed as Jane Doe #5, and she has claimed that Kelly never told her he had herpes during their relationship. Meanwhile, Jane Doe #6 said she too was exposed to the virus because she had unprotected sex with R. Kelly.
In addition, Kelly is also facing new racketeeing charges including allegations he used, “force, threats of force, physical restraint and threats of physical restraint.” Kelly remains in prison in Illinois while he awaits trial. He has claimed he is innocent.
The new federal charges bring the total to nine in New York and 13 in Illinois. He also has pending cases in Illinois state and Minnesota.
R. Kelly's atorney Doug Anton said in a statement, “It seems that the government has sought to add additional allegations as to alleged conduct, with what they believe to be more specificity. Why these alleged facts relating to conduct were not known by the government until now, or included in the indictment until now, raises questions for my defense team to take an interest in.”
He continued, “It is unclear why the government, in speaking to Jane Doe #3, for example, would not have garnered from her these additional factual allegations in the over one year they have been speaking with her already.
He added, “These are serious criminal allegations. How does an alleged victim 'forget' such things? Or… perhaps… these allege victims are not victims at all, but only women who have been told and instructed, even peer pressured if you will, years later, that the claimed relationship they freely and voluntarily engaged in, should now, in the #metoo era, be classified as 'bad' or 'abusive,' and they are continually seeking to add facts, even if not truthful, to their story, to make the alleged events as salacious as humanly possible.”
