TRIGGER WARNING: this article discusses sexual abuse.
Disgraced singer R. Kelly has been arrested in Chicago on sex trafficking charges. The 52-year was arrested in Chicago and taken into custody by NYPD detectives and Homeland Security investigators, and “is expected” to be taken back to New York.
This arrest is the latest in a series of sex crime charges laid against Kelly, stemming from 1998. Back in February, the singer was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against four women. Three of the victims involved were minors when the incident took place.
One month after his February arrest, Kelly was sent back to jail after he failed to pay the $161,000 he owned his ex-wife Andrea Kelly in child support. In May, he was further charged with 11 counts of sexual abuse and assault, to which he pled not guilty.
Kelly’s allegations of sexual misconduct have been public knowledge for years, however, the case picked up steam this year following the release of the documentary Lifetime documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, which detailed many of the accusations made against the artist. The docuseries delved deep into Kelly’s “sex cult” from his Chicago home, his physical abuse of women and claims of sexual activity with minors. You can read an outline of Kelly’s history of abuse here.
The singer’s indiscretions were first brought into the public eye in 2002 after a video of the singer engaging in sexual acts with a minor surfaced. He was later acquitted by a jury after claiming the man in the video was not him, however, he was indicted on 21 counts of child pornography later in the year.
Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Watch: Survivng R. Kelly
