It's unfortunate to see Mr. Kelly's talents go to waste but it becomes a tragedy when behaviour damages the community

Chicago Police Superintendent

The authorities have been studying a 26-minute videotape sent anonymously to a newspaper in the city in February.

It allegedly shows R Kelly, whose given name is Robert, having sex with an underage girl.

"Decency and the law demand this indictment today," Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard said.

"It's unfortunate to see Mr. Kelly's talents go to waste but it becomes a tragedy when behaviour damages the community."

I have complete faith in our system of justice, and I am confident that when all the facts come out, people will see that I'm no criminal

R Kelly

Kelly, aged 35, has dismissed the tape as a fake.

"Even though I don't believe any of these charges are warranted, I'm grateful that I will have a chance to establish the truth about me in a court of law.

"I have complete faith in our system of justice, and I am confident that when all the facts come out, people will see that I'm no criminal."

The young girl has not been co-operating with police.

'No monster'

A grand jury charged Kelly on Wednesday with 21 counts of producing child pornography - a crime punishable with up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

His lawyer, Ed Genson, said that he would prove that the woman in the video was not underage.

Kelly has gone further and denied that he features in the tape at all.

"If people out there have a tape of me and they're saying it's me and a young girl, a minor... then they're sadly mistaken or they're lying. I can say with all confidence it's not me," he told the Black Entertainment Network last month.

"I am not a monster that people are saying I am."

String of lawsuits

The video - which was sent anonymously to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper - has been sold on streets and on the internet across the country.

Kelly has been hit with a string of lawsuits from women who say the star had sex with them when they were below the legal age of consent.

R Kelly - who was discovered singing in the Chicago underground for change - has become a top-selling singer and producer.