R. Kelly Could Face Indictment After New Tape Allegedly Surfaces

R. Kelly was previously charged with child pornography in 2002.
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The alleged tape has similarities to the one that R. Kelly faced child pornography charges for in 2002 in Chicago.

New charges may be coming down the pipeline for R. Kelly after multiple sources reported that a new tape has surfaced that allegedly shows R. Kelly engaging in sexual acts with a young girl.

Attorney Michael Avenatti said on Twitter that his office was retained by multiple people in relation to the allegations against Kelly. He added that in his office's investigation into the claims, the new video was uncovered. Avenatti said the video and other "extensive information" was handed over to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago.

“This tape, which is clear, is approximately 45 minutes in length and has never previously been publicly disclosed or, until recently, provided to law enforcement,” Avenatti wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. 

CNN reported that it has seen the VHS tape and prosecutors are reportedly looking into the newly-surfaced footage. The network reported that a grand jury has been formed on the matter.

In the tape, the girl allegedly calls Kelly “daddy multiple” times and is urinated on at some point in the video, according to CNN. She also allegedly refers to her "14-year-old" genitalia in the video. 

“The time frame of the sexual assaults depicted in the video is within the Illinois statute of limitations,” the statement continued. “... Mr. Kelly is a predator and a criminal who has prayed on young, vulnerable girls for far too long. The time has come for him to finally be held accountable for his actions.”

Steve Greenberg, Kelly’s attorney, did not respond to InsideEdition.com’s request for comment but tweeted that he was unaware of any “special grand jury being convened to look into R. Kelly."

He wrote in a statement, “I have not been contacted by anyone connected with law enforcement, nor has R. Kelly. Mr. Kelly denies that he has engaged in any illegal conduct of any kind whatsoever.

Tandra R. Simonton, chief communications officer for the State's Attorney's Office told CNN that the office “cannot confirm or deny an investigation."

The alleged tape has similarities to the one that Kelly faced child pornography charges for in 2002 in Chicago. In that video, a man was filmed having sex with a girl who was 14 years old. Kelly was acquitted of the child pornography charges six years later.

Avenatti said in his statement on Twitter that the alleged new tape "is not the same evidence previously seen and used in connection with the prior criminal matter in which Mr. Kelly was charged nor does it depict the same instances of sexual assault."

In January, an explosive documentary on Lifetime, “Surviving R. Kelly,” accused the singer of repeatedly having sex with underage women and being physically and emotionally abusive to young women and girls.

R. Kelly has repeatedly denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. 

In the docu-series, R&B singer Sparkle claimed that the girl on the tape was her niece whom she had introduced to Kelly. 

Neither she nor her parents testified at trial and they maintained it wasn't her in the video.

The documentary promoted the #MuteRKelly movement, a campaign to end Kelly’s musical fame through protests and asking others to boycott his music.

Of the documentary, Greenberg previously told CNN, that Kelly “Someone with an agenda has done a hit piece… He's not hiding. There's no secret compound with sex slaves."

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