R Kelly’s legal troubles are growing by the day.
Already facing 40-70 years in prison on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, the embattled R&B singer now finds himself on the losing side of a civil lawsuit brought against him by one of his alleged victims.
The judge ruled in favor of the woman after Kelly failed to show up for a court appearance, according to The Chicago Tribune. The woman had accused Kelly of assaulting her in the 1990s when she was underage, and was seeking $500,000 in restitution. A court date has been set for May 8th to determine the next steps.
The woman who filed the lawsuit is reportedly the same victim who was identified as H.W. in the criminal charges brought against Kelly in February. Kelly is currently out on bail awaiting trial.
Kelly was previously charged with child pornography in 2002, but was later acquitted by a jury. In the years since then, the singer has been dogged by allegations of sexual abuse, engaging in sexual relationships with underage women, falsely imprisoning women for the purpose of sex, and knowingly transmitting sexual diseases. The airing of the Lifetime’s docu-series Surviving R Kelly, brought renewed interest in the allegations, and led to the launching of several criminal investigations.
In addition to the case in Chicago, Kelly is the subject of a criminal investigation in Georgia over claims of assault and imprisonment. Additionally, a second grand jury has been assembled in the Southern District of New York, based on federal investigations by the F.B.I. and the I.R.S., according to The New Yorker, and a third grand jury could soon be convened by the Department of Homeland Security over allegations of sex trafficking.
The numerous legal cases against Kelly have left him in financial ruin and unable to pay child support.
Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, is confident his client will be cleared of all charges. “He’s a rock star, he doesn’t have to have nonconsensual sex,” Greenberg previously told reporters. His former lawyer, meanwhile, believes Kelly is “guilty as hell.”