R Kelly trial: Timeline of abuse allegations against singer as he faces court

R&B singer is facing charges for being the ringleader of a scheme where he recruited women and underage girls for sex

R Kelly has been hit with numerous allegations over the years (AP)

R Kelly is due back in court on for his long-anticipated federal trial arising from years of accusations that he sexually abused women and girls while pursuing fame and fortune.

The R&B singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has been hit with accusations over the past decades, including keeping women in an abusive “cult” and child pornography.

The latest trial - set to start on Wednesday - is for charges he was the ringleader of a two-decade scheme where he recruited women and underage girls for sex, including demanding they demonstrate “absolute commitment” and call him “Daddy.”

Kelly has also denied every abusing anyone in the past.

1994: Marries 15-year-old Aaliyah

R Kelly secretly married singer Aaliyah when she was 15 years old and he was 27 years old.

Her parents quickly annulled the marriage after finding out.

R Kelly helped the singer make her first record, called Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.

1996: Former girlfriend sues Kelly

Tiffany Hawkins sues Kelly for the “personal injuries and emotional distress” sustained during a relationship with the singer.

2002: Child pornography accusations

Kelly was accused of making child pornography after a video emerged of him having sex with a teenager girl and urinating on her.

He was acquitted in 2008, with the jury concluding they could not prove the girl on tape was underage at the time.

2003: New child pornography allegation

The singer was arrested in Miami on further counts of child pornography, with these charges later dropped.

2017: ‘Sex cult’ allegations

Parents and former members accused Kelly of holding their daughters against their will in an abusive “cult”.

According to the accusations, Kelly kept the young women at rented homes, made them call him “daddy”, filmed sexual encounters and punished them when they broke his “rules”.

Later in the year, a woman tells Rolling Stone she was in an abusive relationship with Kelly.

2019: Documentary series aired and Kelly facing multiple charges

Surviving R Kelly was aired, taking a look at allegations against the singer. The series explored how an entourage of supporters protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades.

In February, Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse amid mounting accusations.

In March, a tape allegedly showing R Kelly sexual abusing underage girls was handed to the police.

Later in the year, he was handed a number of charges, including child grooming and images of child sex abuse.

He also faced racketeering charges, alleging he recruited young girls for sexual abuse at concerts across the US.

He was also charged with soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18.

2021: More allegations

Prosecutors revealed allegations against Kelly, asking jurors to hear from more people who claimed they had been sexually or physically abused, threated or mistreated by the singer.

One of the accusations involved sexual contact with an underage boy.