R. Kelly is facing more charges after Brooklyn prosecutors are accusing him of raping an underage girl and knowingly exposing her and another woman to herpes.
The updated indictment said Kelly knew he had herpes and still had unprotected sex with the the woman and underage girl without telling them.
The woman, identifying herself as Jane Doe, says she ended her relationship with Kelly in 2018 after she learned that she had herpes. The two originally met when she was 19 at one of his concerts.
Kelly’s lawyer Douglas Anton denies that there is “zero evidence” that his client knew he had herpes.
“Truth is, medically, anyone who knows will tell you, including the experts we intend to retain, that the first lesson of herpes transmission is that there is pretty much no way to know who gave who herpes,” he said.
Prosecutors have obtained Kelly’s records, which prove that he in fact has the disease. Kelly is now facing nine new charges for these crimes including coercion of a minor, coercion and enticement, and transportation of a minor across state lines. Coercion and enticement carry a minimum sentence of 10 years.
Prosecutors say they have proof that Kelly transported the minor over state lines. They have obtained copies of plane tickets where she traveled to different cities where he had scheduled shows.
The “I Believe I Can Fly” singer is currently being held in federal prison in Illinois. He is awaiting his trial on child sex charges. Kelly will be tried in federal court in Chicago before he is tried in Brooklyn.
This February, Kelly was brought forth a new indictment in Illinois after being accused of more acts of sexual abuse. His trial in April could be pushed back. He is also facing obstruction of justice, racketeering, and child pornography charges.