New Allegations Against R. Kelly Involve Abuse Of Young Boys

Federal prosecutors in R. Kelly‘s human trafficking case said that he engaged in contact with underage boys, as well as girls, and want the jury in his upcoming trial to hear the claims. They introduced additional allegations, not charges, against the Grammy Award-winner in a court filing on Friday.

Kelly was previously charged with orchestrating what prosecutors have referred to as a criminal enterprise – a network of managers, bodyguards and employees who were either complicit or actively helped the artist groom and abuse six different young girls.

There are even more allegations, involving over a dozen people who accuse Kelly of abusing them, sexually or physically, manipulating them or otherwise mistreating them. Prosecutors made it clear in the recent court filing that they would like jurors to hear the testimony of allegations outside of the explicit charges.

The R&B singer’s lawyers were made aware of the government’s intentions through a message on Saturday.

Jury selection for the case is set to start on August 9 in a New York federal court.

One such allegation that has made headlines is the fact that Kelly reportedly became sexually involved with an underage boy he met and groomed for several years. He was introduced to the teenager through another male minor. In addition to his sexual contact with the youths, Kelly also allegedly filmed them in sexual encounters with other people, including some of his own girlfriends.

Prosecutors believe that the 54-year-old’s interactions with the minors and other accusers not included in the actual charges show that his actions toward the six girls “were not isolated events and were part of a larger pattern.”

The singer, who currently faces charges in multiple states regarding sexual crimes, has also attempted to bribe several government workers, prosecutors say. In one specific instance recorded by the feds, Kelly’s crisis manager “told Kelly that he had ‘two people’ who know a lot and told Kelly ‘to figure out what you can do for them,'” suggesting that the workers would accept bribes.

The crisis manager then told Kelly he “paid a clerk in Cook County $2,500 … in order to obtain information about Kelly’s legal trouble,” in another recorded conversation.

Kelley maintains his innocence.