Parents of alleged R. Kelly abuse victim set up hotline against singer

The parents of an alleged victim of US R&B singer R. Kelly have set up an “abuse hotline” to encourage other victims to come forward.

Last July Tim and Jonjelyn Savage accused Kelly via an article in Buzzfeed of brainwashing their daughter Joycelyn to be part of his alleged “sex cult” at his home In Chicago.

They said they had not seen her since December 2016 and last spoke to her on the phone in December 2017.

The daughter has disputed their claims and remains with the singer.

The Savages say they were inundated with at least 100 calls from women or parents with their own stories of domestic and criminal abuse by the R&B singer.

As a result, they have this week launched the Help Break the Silence About R. Kelly hotline (1-678.744.3185).

Jonjelyn Savage told news source Mic, “One reason I feel that he’s been getting away with a lot of the allegations for the last two decades is because people feel he has money and power and they don’t have the resources to fight him.”

They want to build up enough cases against the singer to launch a class action, and are using a former R. Kelly confidante to help filter out crank calls before they send the claims to the FBI.

Kelly has been targeted by #MeToo and #MuteRKelly who had some of his US concerts cancelled, and tried to get his music pulled off radio playlists.

He has consistently denied reports of his abuse and his reported penchant for under-aged or teenage girls.

One of the women who contacted the Savages was Faith Rodger, who in May filed a lawsuit against Kelly charging him with infecting her with herpes and “mentally, sexually and verbally” abusing her.

Tim Savages said, “She was afraid to go to her parents and we treated her like she was our own daughter.

“We told her, ‘Go to the doctor, get tested and then once the test comes back, if you need us to help you talk to your parents, we will.’”