R. Kelly arrested on 1st federal sex crimes charges

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Federal agents arrested singer R. Kelly in Chicago on Thursday night after a federal grand jury handed down a 13-count indictment earlier in the day. "The counts include child porn, enticement of a minor, and obstruction of justice," said Joseph Fitzpatrick, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. These are the first federal charges against Kelly, who also faces multiple sexual assault charges in Illinois; he has pleaded not guilty to the state charges. A law enforcement official tells The New York Times that Kelly will be moved to New York and prosecutors in Brooklyn will announce further details Friday.

Kelly was acquitted of state child pornography charges in 2008, but interest in his relationship with younger women was revived by Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly documentary earlier this year, a subsequent interview with CBS's Gayle King, and a 2018 BBC series, R Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.