R Kelly victim had DNA evidence and reported sexual assault but Chicago prosecutors did nothing

One of the four women whose allegations of sexual assault against R Kelly resulted in a criminal indictment is speaking out for the first time.

Lanita Carter worked with R Kelly for a year, beginning in 2002, and supported the singer in the wake of his child pornography charges while viewing him as a big brother. 

That all changed however in 2003, when she claims that Kelly sexually assaulted her when she went in to do his braids.

She described the degrading and dehumanizing incident on Thursday while appearing on CBS This Morning, and revealed that she went to police just hours later to report the alleged incident. 

Carter even had a shirt with Kelly’s semen that she turned over to police, who were able to match it to the singer’s DNA.

But despite reporting her alleged assault immediately, handing over DNA evidence to police and the fact that she was accusing a man who had just been indicted on criminal sexual assault charges, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office did not file any charges against Kelly – until now. 

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Painful memory: Lanita Carter (above) is one of the four accusers whose allegations against R Kelly have now resulted in criminal charges against the singer

Prior to her alleged assault, Carter said that Kelly was a good employer and friend. 

‘Two words – perfect gentleman,’ said Carter of the singer. 

‘I would tell people, pray for him, pray for him. I do his hair. He is nothing like what they say.’ 

Carter (above in 2003 around the time of the alleged assault) claims that Kelly asked for a massage, then grabbed her braid and pulled down her head saying: 'suck it for daddy, come on, suck it for daddy'

Carter (above in 2003 around the time of the alleged assault) claims that Kelly asked for a massage, then grabbed her braid and pulled down her head saying: ‘suck it for daddy, come on, suck it for daddy’

Then, on February 18, 2003, Carter was called in to do Kelly’s hair. 

This was a huge day for Kelly, whose album Chocolate Factory was being released after the worldwide success of its lead single, Ignition (Remix).

The album would move over 500,000 copies in its first week alone, and go on to record over 3 million in sales worldwide.

On the day in question, Carter said she arrived to work like any other day and began to go about her job.

‘February 18th, 2003, I get a phone call to come down and do his hair. When he came to the room and asked for a head massage, I told him I didn’t do massages, I laughed it off. I didn’t know he was for real,’ said Carter, who then collapsed into tears.

‘If I could change that day, I wouldn’t have been there. He pulled my braid down by him and said: “Suck it for daddy, come on, suck it for daddy.”

‘I said “no,” and I did like this [putting up her hand to block her face] and he just started going [mimes dragging up mucus and hocking it out of her mouth] he did like six, six times.’

The alleged assault was interrupted when someone knocked on the door.  

February 18th, 2003, I get a phone call to come down and do his hair. When he came to the room and asked for a head massage, I told him I didn’t do massages, I laughed it off. I didn’t know he was for real. If I could change that day, I wouldn’t have been there. He pulled my braid down by him and said: “suck it for daddy, come on, suck it for daddy.” ‘I said “no,” and I did like this [putting up her hand to block her face] and he just started going [mimes dragging up mucus and hocking it out of her mouth] he did like six, six times.

-Lanita Carter details alleged assault 

‘He didn’t open the door right away. He said: “Fix your face. Fix your motherf***ing face,”‘ recalled Carter, who remained remarkably composed despite the tears rolling down her cheeks. 

‘I knew that would be my last day there.’

Carter said she made her way to the bathroom to clean herself, and then made a point of debunking any notion that she might have enticed her boss. 

‘And I get to the bathroom, I grabbed the wall, and it was a rose colored tile. I wiped my face,’ said Carter. 

‘I’m not dressed no type of way. I look at myself in the mirror like, I’m not a beauty queen.’ 

She continued: ‘I didn’t perceive myself to be nothing more than just his hair braider. And I kept thinking to myself like why did this happen to me?’ 

Carter then reported the alleged assault that same day, saying that police asked for her clothing and that is where they were able to find the DNA evidence.  

The, nothing happened in the case, so after 10 months Carter agreed to sign an agreement that paid her $650,000 in which she agreed to be quiet and Kelly denied any wrongdoing.

Remix to conviction: Kelly (above in court last week) is facing 10 criminal charges after a grand jury indicted him last month

Remix to conviction: Kelly (above in court last week) is facing 10 criminal charges after a grand jury indicted him last month

There was an additional $100,000 paid in 2009 when Kelly released the sing Hair Braider.

Carter pointed out that a number of lyrics in that song seemed to reference her and the alleged assault.

‘He didn’t open the door right away. He said: “Fix your face. Fix your motherf***ing face.” I knew that would be my last day there. And I get to the bathroom, I grabbed the wall, and it was a rose colored tile. I wiped my face – I’m not dressed no type of way. I look at myself in the mirror like, I’m not a beauty queen. I didn’t perceive myself to be nothing more than just his hair braider. And I kept thinking to myself like why did this happen to me?

Kelly sings on that track: ‘She says that the style that I want is gonna take her like all night / Well that’s cool with me so let’s get it / How conveniently ’cause when she’s done / I’m gonna hit like all night / And there ain’t no other chick like my / Hair Braider.’

Carter also said that she decided to speak with CBS after seeing Kelly’s interview with Gayle King.

‘I felt like it should be a crime to publicly tell a story, that he able to get on television and lie,’ said Carter. 

She also noted during the interview that she has moved beyond her fears, and is hoping that by stepping forward others may be able to share their stories as well.

‘I’m not ashamed of my past anymore. I’m not. I’m not ashamed of what naysayers say,’ noted Carter.

She later closed out the interview by explaining: ‘I know that I love myself. I don’t care what anybody say about me.’ 

Kelly’s lawyer entered a not guilty plea on the singer’s behalf to 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse last month.

There are four victims in the case, and Carter is the only one who was not underage at the time of her alleged assault. 

First was H.W., who was under the age of 17 between the dates of May 26, 1998 and May 25, 1999.

Those include an instance of ‘contact between Robert Kelly’s penis and H.W’s sex organ,’ an instance where the contact was with ‘H.W’s mouth’ and when ‘Robert Kelly touched his penis to H.W’s breast.’

The fourth count stems from the claim that ‘Robert Kelly touched his mouth to H.W’s breast.’

A grand jury returned an indictment of one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse based on the transmission of semen by Robert Kelly upon any part of the body of the victim for the purpose of sexual gratification during the course of the underlying forcible felony of Attempt Criminal Sexual Assault. 

-Kelly’s charge from alleged assault 

R.L. was involved in an incident which occurred between September 26, 1998 and September 25, 2001 when she was a minor.

That alleged incident resulted in two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse – one for ‘contact between Robert Kelly’s penis and R.L’s sex organ’ one for contact with her ‘mouth.’

The third victim is Carter. 

‘A grand jury returned an indictment of one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse based on the transmission of semen by Robert Kelly upon any part of the body of the victim for the purpose of sexual gratification during the course of the underlying forcible felony of Attempt Criminal Sexual Assault,’ said Foxx.

The fourth and final victim was identified as J.P., and the incidents she was involved in led to the final three sexual abuse charges against Kelly.

Those incidents took place between May 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010, and the victim was under the age of 17.

In that case there was ‘contact between Robert Kelly’s penis and J.P’s sex organ,’ ‘mouth’ and ‘the transmission of semen by Robert Kelly.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk