CHICAGO — Singer R. Kelly is in custody in Chicago on federal sex crime charges and federal agents conducted a search of his Trump Tower residence.
Kelly was out walking his dog Thursday when he was arrested by Homeland Security agents and New York Police Department detectives in Chicago on two separate indictments. The singer is being held by federal authorities at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago and his attorney Steve Greenberg said in a statement that he will appear in court for a bail hearing next week.
A federal grand jury handed down a 13 count indictment in the Northern District of Illinois Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago. The R&B singer has been charged with child pornography, enticement of a child and obstruction of justice.
Kelly also faces racketeering charges as apart of a separate five-count indictment out of the Eastern District of New York. Friday morning, federal agents were conducting a search in the singer’s residence in Trump Tower in Chicago, ABC News reports.
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The Chicago native is already facing sexual abuse charges brought by Illinois prosecutors. The 52-year-old was taken into custody back in February, accused of sexually abusing three girls and a woman in Illinois.
Last May, Cook County prosecutors added 11 more sex-related counts. Kelly has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the Illinois charges.
His publicist said a news conference is planned for Friday morning in Atlanta to discuss the new charges. Kelly’s attorneys have not commented on the latest round of charges.
It was also not immediately clear if any of the federal charges were related to any previous sex-related felony charges that have been leveled against the singer.
Greenberg said in a statement Friday morning that, “As has been reporter, Robert Kelly was arrested by federal agents last night while walking his dog. The agents were courteous and professional, as was Mr. Kelly. The charges arose from alleged conduct in the Northern District of Illinois as well as the Eastern District of New York. The conduct alleged appears to be largely the same as the conduct previously alleged against Mr. Kelly in his current State indictment and his former State charges that he was acquitted of. Most, if not all of the conduct alleged, is decades old.
“Mr. Kelly was aware of the investigations and the charges were not a surprise. He had already assembled a team of outstanding federal litigators. He and his lawyers look forward to his day in court, to the truth coming out and to his vindication from what has been an unprecedented assault by others for their own personal gain. Most importantly he looks forward to being able to continue to making wonderful music and perform for his legions of fans that believe in him.
“A bail hearing will be held early next week, at which time Mr. Kelly hopes to be released from custody.”
Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti, who has been representing some of the alleged victims in this case, announced over Twitter that he’s planning to do the same on Monday morning.
R Kelly is expected to appear in federal court in Chicago and prosecutors in Brooklyn are expected to unveil a separate indictment, The New York Times reports.
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