The trial of the Grammy-winning US singer R Kelly is set to begin at a US federal court in New York on Wednesday. The R&B star is accused of racketeering, sexual abuse and bribery; charges which he has denied.

Some of the allegations made against the singer – full name Robert Sylvester Kelly – date back more than two decades. If he is convicted on all counts he could faces 10 years-to-life in prison. Kelly is best known for hits including Ignition (Remix), I Believe I Can Fly, Bump n’ Grind and If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time.Kelly and members of his entourage are accused of recruiting women and underage girls to engage in illegal sexual activity with the singer. The stories go back to the start of his career in the 1990s, with many centring around the alleged predatory pursuit of teenage girls. The 54-year-old is currently facing multiple state and federal charges in the US, with accusations including sexual assault, abuse of a minor, making indecent images of minors, racketeering and obstruction of justice. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.(BBC)…[+]