R. Kelly arrested for sex crimes: reports

US singer R. Kelly has been arrested in Chicago on new sex crime charges, officials have confirmed.

The singer was arrested on Thursday.

Two law-enforcement officials confirmed to NBC News that the 52-year-old was arrested  on sex-trafficking charges. He is expected to be taken to New York, with further details expected to be announced on Friday.

The US Attorney’s Office for the northern district of Illinois told Chicago Sun Times that the star faces 13 counts, including child pornography and obstruction of justice.

R. Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, confirmed that the singer was arrested but declined to comment further.

The star has been the subject of sexual abuse allegations for nearly two decades, but has always denied them.

He was the subject of the docu-series, Surviving R Kelly, which features more than 50 interviews with women he allegedly sexually and physically abused.

Last month, Chicago prosecutors filed 11 sex crime charges against the star, in what his lawyer said was a refiling of counts from an existing case.

He was already facing 10 charges, filed in February, for the alleged abuse of four women. He denied the charges and claimed his accusers were lying.