New Accusations Surface Against R. Kelly, Including With Chicago Teen Boy

New allegations have surfaced against R. Kelly as the R&B singer awaits federal court proceedings in New York.

Those allegations have not yielded new charges as of publication, however.

The additional accusations are coming to light because of a new court filing in the United States District Court Eastern District of New York on Friday (July 23). The filing is an effort by the government to “admit certain uncharged acts” — including sexual abuse of minors, unlawful imprisonment, hush payments, threatening conduct, bribery and other charges — in court.

Many of the additional allegations stem from Illinois. Allegations involve more than a dozen people, court filings show..

Among them, the government says in court filings that Kelly met a then-17-year-old boy at a McDonald’s and invited him to a party at his Chicago residence in December 2006. The boy arrived with family members, and Kelly allegedly “advised him to come without them to the next gathering. Thereafter, Kelly invited John Doe #1 into his studio under the guise of helping and mentoring John Doe #1 with his musical aspirations. Kelly also asked John Doe #1 what he was willing to do to succeed in the music business…”

That’s when Kelly allegedly engaged in sexual contact with the minor.

The government also seeks to include some information about a previous criminal case in Cook County, dating back to June 2002, when Kelly was charged with child pornography offenses. Jury selection didn’t get underway until May 2008, when Kelly learned from “John Doe #1” that the “John Doe” had access to a juror. Kelly allegedly “specifically requested that John Doe #1 make contact with the juror and tell the juror that Kelly was a ‘good guy,’” court documents show. Although it’s unclear whether the “John Doe” spoke with the juror, Kelly was acquitted on all charges in 2008.

The July 23 court filing also notes alleged bribery of an unnamed Cook County clerk in February 2019. That’s when Kelly’s “Crisis Manager” allegedly told Kelly he paid the Cook County clerk $2,500, used a “burner” phone for the clerk to use to get information about Kelly.

The Cook County Circuit Court said in a statement to ABC 7 Chicago:

“I want to be very clear that any type of corruption or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated under my administration. The incident that allegedly occurred between a Cook County clerk and an R. Kelly representative took place before my tenure and we will open an investigation into this matter to ensure anyone who may have been involved does not remain a part of our Office.”

Kelly is also accused of having a staff member pay an employee of the State of Illinois to provide a fake ID for Aaliyah, an R&B singer who died in 2001. The alleged bribe also happened in 2001, ABC 7 Chicago noted.

The station also shared the 55-page court filing. Read it here.

Kelly’s attorney’s responded to the allegations on Monday (July 26), pledging to “vigorously oppose” the government’s efforts to include the allegations in the trial.

“This is nothing more than a veiled effort to pile on to further shape the public’s perception in this case, ignoring that Mr. Kelly is presumed innocent until proven otherwise,” Kelly lawyer Nicole Blank Becker said in an email to the Associated Press. “As the trial nears we are looking forward to the truth prevailing.”

Earlier this month, the legal team asked a judge to postpone the New York trial.

Kelly denies abusing anyone.

Jury selection is slated for August 9 in New York federal court, according to the Associated Press.