R Kelly charged with 10 counts of sexual abuse

US music star R Kelly has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, according to court documents.

The charges come after years of allegations directed at Kelly, accusing the now 52-year-old of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls.

Through his lawyers, he has consistently denied them.

Chicago prosecutor Kimberly Foxx outlined the charges against R. Kelly, saying they involved 4 victims.

She said the singer will appear in court Saturday.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx speaks at a news conference. Credit: AP

Kelly, whose legal name is Robert Kelly, is one of the top-selling recording artists of all time. He has won multiple Grammys, including for his hit song I Believe I Can Fly.

Jurors acquitted Kelly of child pornography charges at a 2008 trial.

Attorney Michael Avenatti said last week that he recently gave Chicago prosecutors new video evidence of Kelly having sex with an underage girl.

Court documents charging R Kelly involve multiple victims dating back to at least 1998.

The charges filed on Friday list four victims, including at least three between the ages of 13 and 17. The victims are listed only by initials in the documents.

Attorney Michael Avenatti says he has evidence R. Kelly and his “enablers” paid witnesses and others to “rig” the outcome of the R&B star’s 2008 trial, when he was acquitted on child pornography charges.

Speaking at a news conference Mr Avenatti called Kelly a "predator" and said today marked a "watershed moment".

He spoke of a video tape, more than 40 minutes in length, dating back to the 1990s, which "left no question as to whether R Kelly is guilty of multiple sexual, illegal acts against a 14-year-old girl".

He said the video shows both R Kelly and the victim "repeatedly" refer to the victim's age as being 14.

Describing the sexual acts seen on the tape, he said the artist abused girls that "many would not listen to" and who came from "tough times".

"Mr Kelly preyed on them repeatedly," he added.

"I want to send a message to the enablers of Mr Kelly, to the agents and the managers and the attorneys and the others who stood idly by and looked the other way and turned a blind eye while teenage girls were sexually assaulted for over two decades."

Kelly has denied allegations of sexual misconduct involving women and underage girls for years. His attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

On Thursday, two women said Kelly picked them out of a crowd at Baltimore after-party in the mid-1990s and had sex with one of them, who was 16.