R. Kelly has been hit with two new sex-crimes charges, according to the Associated Press. Authorities in Minnesota are preparing to charge Kelly with two felony counts of prostitution and solicitation involving an underage girl he met at a concert in 2001. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says the girl asked Kelly for his autograph at the concert, and Kelly gave her his phone number as well. When the girl called the number, according to the AP, she was offered $200 to come to Kelly’s hotel room and dance. TMZ reports that she was also asked to perform sex acts.
In response to the new charges, Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg tweeted, “Give me a break. This is beyond absurd.†Kelly pleaded not guilty in his Brooklyn racketeering case last week and was denied bail. He has also been indicted in federal court in Chicago and is facing multiple other charges of sexual abuse at the state level. In court documents filed last week requesting his release on bail, Kelly referred to his accusers as “disgruntled groupies.â€