Following multiple testimonies from women accusing 54-year-old R. Kelly of grooming and sexually abusing them, a man made similar allegations in court on Monday.
As the Associated Press reports, the first male accuser testified in federal court in Brooklyn and choose not to use his real name. He said Kelly lured him to his Chicago home in 2007 with promises of helping him get a start in music. At the time, the alleged victim was 17, and told Kelly he was willing to do “anything” to get an opportunity in the industry.
“I’ll carry your bags. … Anything you need, I’ll be willing to do,” the witness said he told Kelly.
He alleged Kelly responded “that’s not it, that’s not it” before asking the victim if he was interested in sex with men. At that point, he said Kelly “crawled down on his knees and proceeded to give me oral sex.” He added, “I wasn’t into it.”
After the alleged assault, the man said Kelly “told me to keep [that] between him and me.”
He also described another alleged instance of abuse, during which he said Kelly snapped his fingers only for a naked girl to appear from under a boxing ring to give both Kelly and the witness oral sex. Despite the experiences, he said he continued to visit R. Kelly because he “really wanted to make it in the music industry.”
On Monday, a woman testified that Kelly assaulted her when she was 17 at a concert in Miami in 1994. She claimed Kelly’s entourage took her and a friend to his dressing room and forced her to have unprotected sex with him. After the alleged rape, she and her friend immediately left.
In Brooklyn court, R. Kelly is facing charges of racketeering and eight counts of violating an interstate anti-sex trafficking law. He has continued to deny all the accusations against him. Many women have told similar stories regarding instances of abuse, with many noting Kelly promised them a quick way into the music industry.
