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Another woman has testified that R&B star R. Kelly sexually abused her as a teen, and that she witnessed him engage in sex with then-minor Aaliyah. Jane Doe, who testified on September 13, is the 10th witness for the prosecution against Mr. Kelly.
Mr. Kelly currently faces charges of racketeering, violations of the Mann Act — which prohibits the transport of people across state lines for sexual activity — and other sex-related charges. He has denied all charges against him.
The testimony by Jane Doe, given under the name “Angela,” noted that the young woman met Mr. Kelly when she was just 15-years-old, and he pursued a sexual relationship with her for several years. During the course of the relationship, she worked as a backup singer and dancer, and eventually was part of her own singing group.
10th witness claims R. Kelly sexual abused her
Angela claimed that Mr. Kelly had sexual relationships with many young women while on tour, and that he would grow angry when the women refused his advances. She also claimed that Mr. Kelly controlled nearly all aspects of the womens’ lives, including when and what they ate. After having a meal without his permission, Angela testified that Mr. Kelly said that “we would all have to put out that night … it was dues time.”
Angela noted that she met Aaliyah at the singer’s 12th or 13th birthday. She referred to Aaliyah as Mr. Kelly’s protege, and stated that she once walked in on Mr. Kelly with his head between the young girl’s legs. Angela did not note the exact date of what she saw, but did confirm that she stopped working for Mr. Kelly in the mid-1990s, when Aaliyah was still a teen.
Mr. Kelly illegally married Aaliyah in 1994 when she was just 15 years old; he was 27. The marriage was annulled the next year. Aaliyah died in 2001, at the age of 22.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Kelly sexually abused both young women and young men, and that his behavior was part of an ongoing sexual crime ring.