Singer R. Kelly charged with sexually abusing teenage girls

 (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer R. Kelly was charged on Friday with criminal sexual abuse of at least three teenagers under age 17, the local state's attorney said, following years of allegations against the 52-year-old R&B singer.

An attorney for the singer did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.

" data-reactid="25" dir="LTR" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; direction: ltr; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; unicode-bidi: embed; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="text"> Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx, at a news conference in Chicago announcing the charges, said Kelly was expected to appear in court on Saturday for a bond hearing on the 10 counts he was charged with under a grand jury indictment. Three of the four victims he allegedly abused between 1998 and 2010 were under age 17 at the time, Foxx said.

At least two of the alleged victims were girls, while the gender of the other two was not clear from the court documents.

The age of the fourth was not provided. Kelly was accused of sexual misconduct during an attempted sexual assault in that incident.

." data-reactid="28" dir="LTR" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; direction: ltr; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; unicode-bidi: embed; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="text"> In the indictments involving the other three alleged victims, Foxx said the grand jury indicted him on charges of aggravated criminal abuse, based on the victims being under 17 and Kelly being more than five years older.

." data-reactid="29" dir="LTR" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; direction: ltr; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; unicode-bidi: embed; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" type="text"> Kelly, whose real name is Robert Kelly, faces three to seven years in prison on each count, Foxx said.At a news conference in January, Foxx had called for anyone alleging abuse by the singer to come forward so their claims could be investigated. She made the remarks after the six-hour documentary "Surviving R. Kelly" was aired on Lifetime television. In the documentary, multiple women made allegations of sexual misconduct against the performer.

"We are proud that Lifetime was able to provide a platform for survivors to be heard," the cable network said in a statement following the charges.