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 R&B singer Kelly, 52, was arrested on Thursday by New York
police detectives and investigators with the Department of
Homeland Security, and is expected to be taken to New York City,
the agency said.
Early on Friday, the Chicago Sun-Times said Kelly faces a
13-count sex crime indictment, citing the U.S. Attorney's
office.
The R&B singer has vehemently denied abuse allegations for
decades. In 2008, he was tried on child pornography charges and
found not guilty.
The Sun-Times said Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg, on Thursday
confirmed the arrest, but declined to give details.
Greenberg was not immediately available for comment to Reuters.
Chicago police referred all questions on the matter to the U.S.
attorney's office or New York police, but representatives were
not immediately available for comment.
In June, Kelly pleaded not guilty to 11 felony counts of sexual
assault and abuse at a Chicago court hearing after prosecutors
expanded an indictment against him.
Those counts, unveiled in late May in an indictment by a Cook
County grand jury, involve alleged abuse of a victim between the
ages of 13 and 16.
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The accusations center on someone identified only as J.P. and the
crimes are alleged to have taken place between May 2009 and January
2010.
Kelly could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on those
charges.
In February, Kelly pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually
assaulted three teenage girls and a fourth woman.
The charges were brought after seven women, including his ex-wife,
appeared on a Lifetime television documentary and accused him of
emotional and sexual abuse.
The singer, known for such hits as "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Bump
N' Grind," spent a weekend in jail on the sex charges before being
released on $100,000 bail on Feb. 25.
It was not immediately clear if the new federal charges against
Kelly were related to previous cases. It was unclear where he was
being held or when he would appear before a judge on the new
charges.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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