(May 6, 2019 – Source: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images North America
*R. Kelly will reportedly appear in a New York City court Friday for an arraignment on charges he sexually abused women and girls.
The embattled singer is expected to plead not guilty to the crime of recruiting (and in some cases, holding hostage) women and underage girls to have sex with him, per Reuters.
Kelly, 52, is charged in New York with exploiting five victims, identified only as “Jane Does.” Prosecutors allege he had unprotected sex with one victim in 2017 without telling her “he had contracted an infectious venereal disease” in violation of New York law.
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R.Kelly attorney asks judge to release client, citing ‘groupie remorse’ https://t.co/xW6X2XB6eo pic.twitter.com/bcmyizFFrK
— New York Post (@nypost) August 2, 2019
Lawyers for Kelly have labelled his accusers “disgruntled groupies.”
The alleged victims “sought out Robert’s attention, even fought each other for it, voluntarily contacted him, came to his shows, pined to be with him,” the defense papers say. “Robert would spend his time and even become friends with and care about these groupies and fans who were dying to be with him.”
The singer was arrested in Chicago last month and slapped with a set of charges brought by federal prosecutors. This is in addition to the Brooklyn charges that he’s in court for this week. All charges were brought after seven women, including R. Kelly’s ex-wife, appeared on a Lifetime documentary and accused him of emotional and sexual abuse.
The R&B singer has denied abuse allegations for decades. In 2008, he was tried on child pornography charges and found not guilty.
Kelly’s attorneys have asked a New York judge to grant him bail as they also seek his release in Chicago.
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