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R. Kelly’s legal troubles are continuing to grow.
The singer was charged with two new sex crimes in the state of Minnesota, continuing his fight against charges with alleged sexual acts with minors.
He was charged with one count of engaging in prostitution with a minor, and one count of soliciting a minor for sexual purposes. They claim that the alleged crimes occured with a 17-year-old in July of 2001 after trying to get an autograph. She eventually got his number and was invited to his room. That is when Kelly gave her $200 to dance before allegedly masterbating while touching up on the girl. The couple did not have sex according to the report.
He is facing 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the alleged crimes.
Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg released a statement reacting to the new charges.
“Frankly, I’m not sure I could say anything without swearing,” he said. [The charges are] an abuse of process, prosecutorial discretion and a perversion of the statute of limitations.”
He is also facing state and federal charges in New York and Illinois.