Michael Avenatti Tweets Screenshots From Alleged R. Kelly Sex Tape, Says There’s ‘No Question’ He’s Guilty
R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, and lawyer Michael Avenatti says there's "no question" he's guilty.
Avenatti said he turned over a sex tape to Cook County prosecutors in Illinois that showed the singer allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl, according to a report from People. The lawyer shared screenshots from the tape on Twitter, telling the public it "leaves no question as to whether R. Kelly is guilty of multiple sexual, illegal acts."
"The tape was shot in the late '90s, approximately 1999, it depicts two separate scenes shot on two separate days within Mr. Kelly's residence at the time," Avenatti said. "The audio on the tape, you can clearly listen to it – it's clear – the video is far superior to the video that was used in connection to the 2008 trial. It is an entirely different video."
The second tape referenced by Avenatti led to Kelly's arrest in 2002. At the time he was charged with child pornography. It also shows the singer allegedly having sex with a minor. Six years later, in 2008, a Cook County jury found Kelly not guilty on all 14 counts related to the tape.
In the new tape, Kelly reportedly "refers to the victim's age as 14" more than 10 times, according to Avenatti. The lawyer says it's "clear" that this claim isn't merely "role-playing during some sexual act."
"It is clear that this young lady was 14 years of age during the time the video was shot. Mr. Kelly, throughout the video, stops what he's doing, stops his acts of sexual assault and he proceeds to move the video camera and adjust the camera angle – zooming in, changing the direction of the shot and things of that nature. So there's no question that he knew exactly what he was doing. At one point in time on the video in the first scene it is clear that Mr. Kelly is having the victim watch another piece of pornography which appears to be him with yet another young girl on the big screen television in the background."
Avenatti, added, "Repeatedly on the vide, the young lady refers to Mr. Kelly as 'daddy.' The video depicts Mr. Kelly engaged in oral sex with the young victim, both receiving as well as giving, as well as vaginal intercourse and anal penetration. There are also instances of Mr. Kelly urinating on the young girl on the videotape."
The lawyer turned the tape over to Cook Count State Attorney Kim Foxx within days of recovering it. He said he was aware of "two other tapes in existence." One has been recovered, one is in the process of being recovered.
Kelly could be sentenced to three to seven years per charge with possible probation. It's not yet clear what he'll get. Kelly previously denied claims against him, but turned himself in to police.