Police in Dallas, Texas, are investigating a now-20-year-old woman's allegations that controversial R & B star R. Kelly "knowingly and intentionally" gave her a sexually transmitted disease without telling her.
The Dallas Morning News reports the woman, who was 19 at the time she dated Kelly, was allegedly infected with herpes after an 11-month relationship with the singer. The accuser, who has not been identified publicly, filed a formal complaint with the Dallas Police Department against the 51-year-old "I Believe I Can Fly" crooner last week. She intends to file a lawsuit later this week, according to her lawyer Lee Merritt.
"When somebody brings something to our attention, we have a responsibility to look into it and to do our due diligence -- that's with any kind of case," Dallas police Dept. Chief Thomas Castro, who oversees investigations, told the Morning News Monday.
In the April 9 criminal complaint, the woman said she experienced "serious bodily injury" during a relationship in which Kelly also allegedly gave her illegal drugs and alcohol, Merritt told the Huffington Post. The relationship ended in February.
“Our client was the victim of several forms of criminal misconduct by Kelly, including, but not limited to, unlawful restraint, furnishing alcohol and illegal drugs to a minor, and aggravated assault (via the referenced intentional STD infection),” Merritt wrote in a press release. “These offenses occurred while our client was being groomed to join Kelly’s sex cult.”
Over the last several years, Kelly has been on the accused end of various sexual misconduct claims. In 2008, the entertainer was acquitted of child pornography charges, which came after accusations he videotaped himself having sex with underage girls.
Last year, BuzzFeed broke the story that several women alleged Kelly abused and imprisoned them as part of a “cult” at his estate in Johns Creek, Georgia. Last month, his former girlfriend accused Kelly of sexually abusing her from the age of 14.
Kelly has not responded to several requests for comment, but through his representative he told the Washington Post he "categorically denies all claims and allegations" in the Dallas criminal complaint.
Despite his legal battles, Kelly has maintained a successful touring and recording career, selling more than 60 million albums.
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