R Kelly charged with prostitution and solicitation involving a minor in Minnesota

Singer R Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has been charged with two counts of prostitution and solicitation involving a minor in Hennepin County, Minnesota on Monday. The alleged incident took place on July 11, 2001 when a 17-year-old girl tried to take his autograph before a concert, said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

According to the lawyer, Kelly signed an autograph for her and shared his phone number. When the girl called him, she was invited to his hotel room. There she was offered $200 to take off her clothes and dance with him. Kelly took off her clothes and they danced together, and proceeded to touch her. Kelly allegedly gave her VIP seats to his show that would not require those 18+ to show ID proof. They had discussed visiting Chicago but lost touch.

Gloria Allred who is representing the victim, among Kelly's other accusers, said in a statement, 'I would like to emphasise that my client is not a prostitute. She is instead a child victim of Mr. Kelly.' Minnesota's rape law says that no one can engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18. Each of these charges is punishable by five years in prison.

Kelly faces dozens of state and federal charges in Illinois and New York spanning 20 years. Last Friday, he pleaded not guilty to racketeering and sexual exploitan charges, in Brooklyn. While responding to the new Minnesota case his attorney Steve Greenberg took to Twitter and said, "give me a break. This is beyond absurd."

As per reports of Global News, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Geddes said that both Kelly and his close ones were involved in paying off and intimidating witnesses in the past. She said that the witnesses were told, "they had the option of choosing his side or the other side."

Kelly has been denied bail in the last hearing and will be sent back to Chicago where decision is pending on his trial.