R Kelly arrested on ‘sex trafficking charges’ in the US

R. Kelly has been arrested on new sex-related charges in Chicago, Illinois.

The R&B singer - whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly - was taken into custody by New York Police Department detectives and Homeland Security Investigation agents on Thursday 11 July, his lawyer Steve Greenberg confirmed.

He is now facing 13 federal counts for “child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice," US attorney spokesman Joseph Fitzpatrick allegedly told press.

Read more: R. Kelly charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse

Kelly has faced a number of sexual abuse claims since the early 2000s. Having been accused of making a 27-minute sex tape with an underage female, he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008.

In January 2019, Lifetime aired three-part documentary Surviving R. Kelly, which details the allegations levelled at him, across three nights. Musicians such as Chance the Rapper and John Legend were interviewed in the series.

In February 2019, he was arrested and charged for the sexual assault of four women and while awaiting trial on bail, he publicly challenged the indictments on CBS This Morning.

“I didn’t do this stuff,” he told presenter Gayle King. “Use your common sense. Forget the blogs, forget how you feel about me. Hate me if you want to, love me if you want. But just use your common sense.”

Read more: R. Kelly turns himself in to police

“I’m fighting for my f****** life,” he continued, as he broke down in tears.

The following month, Kelly - whose best known songs include Ignition, I Believe I Can Fly and Bump n’ Grind - made a brief appearance at the Dirty South Lounge nightclub In Springfield, Illinois. According to reports, he received £17,000 for his 28-second performance and taking selfies with fans for the remainder of the hour.