Prosecutors in Illinois have filed 11 new sex charges against embattled R&B star R. Kelly.
The I Believe I Can Fly singer has already pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four victims, three of whom were underage at the time of the alleged encounters, and on Thursday (30May19), his legal woes mounted as authorities announced new charges against the 52 year old.
He now stands accused of four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two of criminal sexual assault by force, two of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and three of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a victim between the ages of 13 to 16.
All are said to involve the same victim dating back to an incident in January, 2010, although it's not clear if the female is also linked to the indictment filed against Kelly earlier this year (19).
Some of the latest charges carry a mandatory sentence of six to 30 years in prison, according to The Chicago Sun-Times.
Kelly's attorney, Steve Greenberg, has yet to read through the court documents, but he told the publication, "We'll see what the charges are, and we'll proceed accordingly.
"I know this much: It's old. They're allegations from years ago."
The news emerges days after reports suggested a number of Kelly's accusers were due to testify about his alleged sexual misconduct before a grand jury in Chicago.
He was previously acquitted on child pornography charges in 2008.
It has been a terrible year for Kelly so far - he was the subject of damning TV docu-series Surviving R. Kelly, which detailed the sex assault allegations mounting up against him, while he also spent three days behind bars in March after skipping a court deadline to settle his debts with ex-wife Andrea Kelly, who claimed she was owed more than $160,000 (£127,000) to help care for their three children.
