ATLANTA — The attorney for Atlanta accusers in the alleged R. Kelly sex abuse case confirms his clients are heading to meet with a top Chicago prosecutor. The meeting is tied to a newly released tape that allegedly shows the R&B singer having sex with a minor.
“I think there's a distinct possibility they can tell Ms. Foxx who's in it and identify individuals in the tape,” said attorney Gerald Griggs. “Hopefully this will be the break in the case that forces charges because we know there’s sufficient evidence to proceed both in Chicago and in Atlanta.”
Kim Foxx is the Cook County, Illinois state prosecutor who has asked Kelly accusers to come forward since the recent release of a Lifetime docu-series “Surviving R. Kelly.” The series documents decades-old and recent allegations of sex trafficking and abuse orchestrated by the music star.
On Thursday morning, attorney Michael Avenatti released a statement saying he has new evidence against Kelly. Avenatti represents accusers, and said in a statement that he has forwarded the new sex tape to Foxx and police. The tape mirrors evidence that was brought forth against Kelly when he was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008.
“Included in the evidence we recently uncovered and recovered is a VHS videotape of Mr. Kelly engaging in multiple sexual assaults of a girl underage,”Avenatti wrote. “This tape, which is clear, is approximately 45 minutes in length and has never previously been publicly disclosed or, until recently, provided to law enforcement.”
Avenatti added that the tape was recorded in a time period that doesn’t exceed Illinois investigation statute of limitations.
Griggs confirmed his contact with Avenatti in recent days. Griggs represents and unidentified Kelly sex abuse accuser and the parents of Jocelyn Savage, who were featured in the docu-series and in recent Channel 2 Action News reports. The Savages maintain Kelly has abused their daughter and kept her from making contact with her family for years.
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Channel 2 Action News has interviewed the Savages, who held a press conference about the allegations in front of Kelly's former John's Creek home.
[ [READ MORE: Parents searching for daughter they say has been ‘brainwashed' by R. Kelly] ]
Griggs said that Fulton County prosecutors reached out for a meeting with his clients shortly after the docu-series aired. On Thursday, he told Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr that the January meeting was canceled by prosecutors, and never re-scheduled.
The District Attorney’s Office has never commented on the case, and would not comment on Thursday’s developments.
“This is information that was present in 2017 in Atlanta,” Griggs said. “We're still concerned-Fulton County -- why there's been no movement by the duly-elected district attorney here.”
Griggs said his clients will meet with Foxx on Friday. Kelly’s attorney tweeted a response to the developments on Thursday afternoon.
“Credit to (Michael) Avenatti for moving his alleged fraud from the focus to my client,” Steve Greenberg wrote, referencing this week’s headlines about Avenatti’s financial troubles. “As we have said before #RKelly, since being wrongly accused years ago, has always followed the law.”
“We will have no further comment,” Greenberg wrote in a final tweet.