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R. Kelly Charged With Bribing Official to Marry Underage Aaliyah

Prosecutors say R. Kelly bought the fake ID from a public officer on August 30, 1994, the day before he allegedly married the then-15-year-old Aaliyah.

New York federal prosecutors hit R. Kelly with a new charge on Thursday, alleging the disgraced singer tried to create a fake ID for singer Aaliyah over 25 years ago, a law enforcement official told The Daily Beast. Prosecutors allege in a superseding indictment filed in Brooklyn federal court that on Aug. 30, 1994, Kelly paid a public officer for “the creation of a fraudulent identification document for Jane Doe #1,” whom a source identified as the singer. The transaction is said to have occurred the day before Kelly married Aaliyah—who was 15 years old at the time. Kelly’s attorney, Steven Greenberg, said in a a statement that “we will review the indictment, which we just received, in greater detail, but at first look it does not appear to materially alter the landscape.” In Surviving R. Kelly, one of the singer’s former tour managers claimed he had purchased a fake ID for Aaliyah in order for her to marry Kelly. According to the manager, Demetrius Smith, Aaliyah was listed as 18 in the marriage license. Kelly is currently facing sex crime charges in two states, and is being held in jail in Chicago.

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Pilar MelendezSenior National Reporter

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