R. Kelly, who is facing several federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing women and underage girls, is now also being prosecuted for knowingly exposing two women to an infectious venereal disease. The updated indictment states that Kelly was aware he had contracted herpes and proceeded to have unprotected sex with a woman and underage girl without informing them of his condition, the New York Times reports. The young woman, who met the R&B artist when she was 19, ended their relationship in 2018 after she learned she had contracted the disease. It is not yet clear whether the underage girl also contracted herpes. Douglas Anton, a lawyer for R. Kelly, maintains that there is “zero evidence†to suggest that Kelly knew he had herpes.
The new allegations, filed on Friday, are part of a nine-count indictment, adding to a case against R. Kelly that was first announced last summer. R. Kelly remains in custody in Chicago, where he faces additional charges in a trial that has since been delayed, as new allegations have surfaced involving the discovery of hidden electronics. He is scheduled to face trial in Brooklyn this July.