R. Kelly Charged With New Sex Crimes in Minnesota
R. Kelly has been charged with a 2001 sex crime involving an underage girl in Minneapolis.
The disgraced R&B singer, who already faces a total of 18 counts of sex-related charges brought against him last month in both Chicago and New York, has been accused of paying a minor $200 to sleep with him in his hotel room when she asked him for an autograph.
According to Variety, "Kelly is charged with two counts of engaging in prostitution with an individual under 18 years old and offering to hire for sexual purposes a person under 18," with the victim claiming there was "dancing" and "sexual contact" between the two. However, there was no sexual intercourse.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman admitted the case will be difficult to prosecute because it happened over 20 years ago, but there seems to be enough evidence to support the allegations.
Following the news, Kelly's lawyer Steven Greenberg weighed in on the new charges via Twitter, tweeting, "Give me a break. This is beyond absurd."
Kelly is currently in custody in New York, where he was denied bail last week after pleading not guilty to other sex crimes, including sex trafficking and kidnapping.