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Zolnierek/iStockR. Kelly is facing a new set of charges from federal prosecutors, who accuse the 52-year-old of bribing a public employee on August 30, 1994 in order to fraudulently obtain a fake ID for an unnamed girl.
The Associated Press reports that the indictment, filed in New York on Thursday, claims R. Kelly obtained the fake ID the day before he illegally married “Try Again” singer Aaliyah, who was only 15 at the time of their 1994 union. The “Ignition” singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was 27.
The U.S. Attorney’s office declined to identify who the ID was intended for and is calling the recipient “Jane Doe.” However, a source close to the investigation tells AP on the condition of anonymity that “Jane Doe” was, indeed, Aaliyah.
The two married in a secret ceremony at a Chicago hotel, but their marriage was annulled shortly after because of Aaliyah’s age. Their marriage license, which was obtained in Illinois, stated she was 18. Kelly had claimed he was unaware that his bride was only 15.
Aaliyah worked with Kelly on her debut album Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number, in which he produced and wrote the album’s debut single “Back & Forth.”
Douglas Anton, Kelly’s attorney, called the new charges “ridiculous and absurd.” His client currently is being held without bail for a litany of charges including sexual exploitation, kidnapping, racketeering, and forced labor.
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