Suspected sex offender and singer R. Kelly was attacked by an inmate inside an Illinois detention facility, according to emerging reports.
Sources told TMZ that an inmate at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago walked into Kelly’s cell and pummeled him. Kelly, 53, was reportedly sitting on his bed at the time of the assault.
TMZ reported that the inmate was angry because the detention facility was placed on lockdown a couple of times due to people protesting for Kelly’s release outside.
READ: Ongoing R. Kelly coverage
It is not immediately known what stopped the altercation. Sources said the fight was brief, and Kelly was not seriously injured.
Kelly’s attorney declined to discuss the alleged incident, but he told TMZ that his client is a model inmate.
Kelly has been jailed in Illinois since July 2019 for 26 federal charges which include child pornography, obstruction of justice, and sexual abuse of a minor. Kelly is also facing 21 sex-related criminal charges in Cook County — 11 which were filed in May and 10 in February. The state charges reportedly stem from allegations dating back to 1998 and involve at least three underage girls.
In New York, Kelly is facing multiple federal charges for allegedly infecting a woman and minor girl with herpes, racketeering, and sex trafficking that reportedly crossed state lines. In August 2019, authorities in Minnesota charged Kelly with two counts of prostitution with a person under 18 in connection with an alleged 2001 incident.
This is a developing story. Check back with CrimeOnline for updates as they become available.
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[Featured image: R. Kelly/Cook County Sheriff’s Office]
