Homeland Security Investigations is involved in an investigation of R. Kelly, an ICE official confirms to CNN.
The official did not provide any additional details.
The news of DHS's involvement was first reported by the New Yorker.
By Meg Wagner, Brian Ries and Jessie Yeung, CNN
From CNN's Geneva Sands
Homeland Security Investigations is involved in an investigation of R. Kelly, an ICE official confirms to CNN.
The official did not provide any additional details.
The news of DHS's involvement was first reported by the New Yorker.
From CNN's Anisa Husain
Dream Hampton, the executive producer of Lifetime's "Surviving R. Kelly" just released a statement about the charges against the singer.
“R Kelly’s predation has been an open secret for almost two decades. It’s time for him to finally pay for the harm he’s caused, the black girls lives he’s ruined," Dream Hampton said.
R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced earlier today.
Aggravated criminal sexual abuse is a class two felony with a sentencing range of three to seven years in prison per count.
That means Kelly, if convicted, could face a maximum of up to 70 years.
Though R. Kelly has faced allegations of sexual misconduct and assault for the past 20 years, he has yet to face serious consequences. Most previous cases were settled out of court, and he was acquitted in 2008 of the only case that went to trial.
"You know, I stand firmly in the belief that we're only now hearing this because these were black girls, that he was not tried or successfully prosecuted in the past because these were young, black girls," said Jamilah Lemieux, a former senior editor at Ebony magazine who was interviewed in the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries.
"These were not black girls typically of means. These weren't celebrities with the exception of Aaliyah. These were regular, working-class girls from places like the south side of Chicago."
We don't know much about the victims listed in the indictment. Three were under the age of 17 at the time of the alleged assaults, with the fourth victim's age unspecified.
However, R. Kelly has been accused of preying on young, black girls in the past.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx outlined the 10 charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against R. Kelly. She said the charges involve four victims.
Here's how Foxx broke it down:
R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse involving four victims, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx announced.
Watch below:
From CNN's Sara Sidner
A spokesperson from the Cook County State's Attorney's office says a bond hearing will be held for R. Kelly in Chicago tomorrow between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. CT.
From CNN's Ryan Young
Chicago Police tell CNN that a warrant has been issued for R. Kelly's arrest.
In just moments, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx will announces charges against Kelly at a news conference.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a Cook County judge has approved a no-bail arrest warrant for singer R. Kelly.
The charges span from 1998 to 2010, the Sun-Times reports. The minors were between 13 and 16, prosecutors allege.