R. Kelly has been hit with new federal charges in New York.
The ‘Ignition’ hitmaker is already awaiting trial in Brooklyn for charges that include sex trafficking, racketeering and child pornography, and he is now facing several new charges relating to two new alleged victims, one of whom claims she was under 18 when she allegedly had sex with him in 2015.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Kelly was hit with a new indictment out of the Eastern District of New York, which includes charges of coercion and enticement, coercion of a minor, and transportation of a minor across state lines.
Both women – listed as Jane Doe #5 and Jane Doe #6 – have alleged Kelly never informed them he had herpes during their relationship, with Jane Doe #6 claiming she was exposed to the virus because they had unprotected sex.
In addition, Kelly has also been hit with new racketeering charges including allegations he used, "force, threats of force, physical restraint and threats of physical restraint."
Kelly – who has maintained his innocence throughout his legal battles – is currently behind bars in Illinois, where he is also facing a further 13 charges.
The 53-year-old singer has pending cases in Illinois state and Minnesota.
Last month, Kelly had his original New York trial pushed back from May to July, after Brooklyn Federal Judge Ann Donnelly deemed the May date to be "unrealistic", given Kelly is due to be tried in his Illinois federal case in April.
The judge believes Kelly’s trial should take three or four weeks to complete and comes as the ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ singer’s former girlfriend Azriel Clary, 22, recently began cooperating with authorities working on the case.
Azriel is keen to help other women who have been in a similar situation, whether with Kelly or someone else, while prosecutors are monitoring threats that have been made against her and her family since she made her decision to return home.
R. Kelly hit with new federal charges
