Singer under siege has previously denied all claims of underage sex

A lawyer working on the investigation into R Kelly’s alleged sexual activity with underage girls says he evidence of a further video purporting to show the singer’s involvement with minors.

Michael Avenatti also claims that Kelly “rigged” the jury when the singer was found not guilty on child pornography charges in 2008.

Avenatti has long investigated Kelly’s sexual behaviour. He stated last Thursday (February 14) that he knew of two videos of Kelly in sexual activity with underage girls. He has now tweeted a statement saying he has unearthed a video showing Kelly.

The lawyer wrote: “We have become aware of the existence of a third tape, that allegedly shows further acts of sexual abuse of an underage girl by R Kelly, which we are presently working to recover and turn over to law enforcement.”

Kate Foxx, State Attorney for Cook County in Chicago, is leading the investigation into Kelly. Avenatti had previously stated he is working with Foxx to investigate Kelly. “We will work tirelessly until this predator is brought to justice,” said Avenatti. “As a father of two teenage girls myself, I have the utmost faith and confidence in Ms Foxx and her staff to ensure that justice is done.”

Kelly has denied all claims of wrongdoing.

Claims of sexual misconduct by Kelly began in 1994, when he married Aaliyah when she was only 15. The marriage was annulled when Aaliyah’s parents discovered the pair were married, with Kelly saying he was unaware of his fellow R&B singer’s age.

The singer has since been accused of underage sex in 2008, when he was found not guilty of 14 charges of child pornography. Some of these charges related to a video from 2002 discovered by Avenatti, which claimed to show Kelly urinating on a 14-year-old girl. Avenatti has stated that the three recent videos are different than the tape from 2002.

Avenatti has now stated he believes the jury in the 2008 trial was “rigged”. He tweeted: “We have now uncovered how R Kelly was able to gain his acquittal in 2008. We have uncovered substantial evidence that he and certain enablers engaged in systematic witness intimidation, evidence tampering, physical threats and payments to witnesses. They rigged the trial.”

Claims of Kelly’s sexual activity with underage girls have resurfaced since the Lifetime documentary series Surviving R Kelly was aired in January. Buzzfeed had previously reported in 2017 that Kelly ran a sex cult.