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A Woman Has Come Forward To Accuse R. Kelly of Underage Sex and Further Sexual Misconduct

It comes after allegations that the singer heads an abusive sex cult.
Imagen vía Wikimedia Commons

Recently, Buzzfeed published allegations that R Kelly is at the head of an abusive cult, wherein young women are physically, sexually and mentally abused by him. And today, the outlet has published a follow up, in which a young woman, 24-year-old Jerhonda Pace, corroborates the claims made earlier, and accuses Kelly of knowingly having sex with her when she was below the legal age of consent in Illinois.

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Pace told journalist Jim DeRogatis that she first met Kelly during his child pornography trial, and was later invited by one of his employees to a party at Kelly's house when she was aged 16:

"Even though I had already met him at his trial, I was like literally at his house, so it did not feel real." She remembers Kelly calling her over to the bar and telling her he had noticed her at the trial. He then asked for her cell phone and entered his number in it. "At the time I was still, you know, pretty starstruck, so I was in disbelief."

She says that eventually, she began spending weekends with Kelly at his mansion, and her account—which mentions following "rules," wearing shapeless clothes, and not speaking to unapproved persons—follows on from those given by the women who spoke to Buzzfeed previously:

While she was in the mansion, she says, she had to follow Kelly's "rules," which included dressing in baggy clothes, turning over her phone, and asking permission to shower, eat, go to the bathroom, and leave the property. If she broke the rules, she says, she was mentally and physically abused.

Though Pace originally told Kelly that she was 19 years old when they met, she states that at one point during their sexual relationship, he became aware that she was actually below the age of consent (which, in Illinois, is 17):

If Kelly was previously unaware of Pace's age, she says she told him for certain that she was 16 on July 17, 2009 […] "I gave him my state ID," she says. She recalls that Kelly told her things were fine, but that she should tell anyone who asked that she was 19, and act like she was 25.

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Pace was also made to sign nondisclosure agreements about her time with Kelly, that in speaking with DeRogatis and Buzzfeed, she is now breaking, out of concern for the women still living with Kelly. She is considering taking criminal action against Kelly.

Kelly's team has refuted Pace's claims. In a statement provided to Noisey, they said:

The allegations against Mr. Kelly are false, and are being made by individuals known to be dishonest. It is clear these continuing stories are the result of the effort of those with personal agendas who are working in concert to interfere with and damage his career. Mr. Kelly again denies any and all wrong doing and is taking appropriate legal action to protect himself from ongoing defamation.

Read the full story on Buzzfeed.

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