Associated Press
CHICAGO — R&B star R. Kelly was arrested Wednesday in Florida after Chicago authorities filed child pornography charges alleging that he appears on a videotape having sex with an underage girl.
"I can confirm that he was arrested in Florida," Kelly spokesman Allan Mayer said.
A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office in Florida’s Polk County would only say that Kelly had been arrested there.
Kelly was indicted in Chicago on 21 counts of child pornography earlier in the day after officials said their investigation of a videotape showed the Grammy winner having sex with an underage girl.
The videotape purporting to show Kelly and an underage girl has been sold on the streets in major cities, and has been a topic among R&B fans and musicians.
Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard said FBI forensics experts determined the tape was authentic, and that other experts had determined the people on the tape were Kelly and an underage girl.
"It’s unfortunate to see Mr. Kelly’s talents go to waste, but it becomes a tragedy when behavior damages a community," Hillard said.
If convicted, Kelly faces a prison term of up to 15 years, and a fine of up to $100,000.
Kelly’s lawyer, Ed Genson, said: "The charge is that there’s a young lady under the age of 18 on that tape and there isn’t. That’s simply the stance that I’m taking. We’re going to court and we’ll disprove that she was underage."
Kelly has denied that he is the man shown in the video.
Hillard said police and the FBI have worked with witnesses to identify those on the tape.
Cook County State’s Attorney Richard Devine said the video was made in November 1997 or later and that the girl in the video was born in September 1984.
"We brought the charges we thought appropriate at this stage," Devine said when asked why underage sex charges were not filed against Kelly.
The singer is known for hits ranging from the Grammy-winning, gospellike "I Believe I Can Fly" to sexually charged material such as "Bump ‘n’ Grind," "Feelin’ On Yo Booty" and "Your Body’s Callin’."
The Chicago Sun-Times reported in February that it had received the tape anonymously and passed it along to Chicago police, who began investigating Kelly.
The tape is being circulated on the Internet, and police warned that anyone who has it could be charged with possession of child pornography.
Kelly has said he has not seen the video.
"Even though I don’t believe any of these charges are warranted, I’m grateful that I will have a chance to establish the truth about me in a court of law," Kelly said in a statement released Wednesday.
Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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