Two more women accuse singer R Kelly of sex abuse
Protesters have rallied for months outside R Kelly's recording studio in Chicago. Photo: AP
Two women at a press conference held by lawyer Gloria Allred in New York have accused R. Kelly of sexual misconduct
The two women, Latresa Scaff, 40, and Rochelle Washington, 39, have not previously gone public with their claims.
They say the incident happened in 1995 when they were 16 and 15 years old, respectively.
Lawyer Gloria Allred encourages client Rochelle Washington to relate her encounter with Kelly. Photo: AP/Seth WenigSeth Wenig
Introduced on Thursday by Allred, who called Kelly a “sexual predator,” Scaff read from a statement that described how the two met Kelly after a 1995 concert in Baltimore.
She said that Kelly’s security picked them from the crowd at the arena and asked them to come onstage. They were then invited to an afterparty with Kelly, where they were offered cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.
She said that the two were invited to a hotel room, where Kelly entered wearing a shirt and jeans, but with his genitals exposed. She said Kelly wanted the two women to have sex with him, but Washington declined and hid in the bathroom. Scaff said that she had sex with Kelly, who left the room shortly afterward.
The pair have said they are willing to testify under oath.
During the conference Allred said, “To R. Kelly, I am sending this message: You have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. You have been able to get away with your predatory misconduct for far too long.”
Kelly has allegations of sexual misconduct against him dating back 25 years, although he has never been convicted.
Two more women have come forward to accuse R. Kelly of sexual misconduct: https://t.co/6xb9XU7Emj pic.twitter.com/TX1ZHWuMsk
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) February 21, 2019
The latest round arises in the wake of the Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly which recounts multiple allegations in graphic details along with reports of a new sex tape that allegedly shows the singer engaging in sex acts with an underage girl, according to reports in CNN and The New Yorker.
Lawyer Michael Avenatti claimed last week that he had given the tape to the State’s Attorney’s office. While the outlets said that Kelly’s arrest is imminent and CNN claimed a grand jury had been assembled on Monday, the singer has not yet been indicted.
Last month Kelly’s longtime label, Sony Music subsidiary RCA Records, parted company with the singer.
-AAP
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