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Dad Who Claims Daughter Is Being Held Captive By R. Kelly Wants Criminal Investigation Launched In Florida

Angelo Clary hasn't seen his daughter Azriel in nearly three years and believes she's being held in a de facto sex cult run by the controversial R&B singer.

By Gina Tron
A Short History of R. Kelly Scandals

A Florida father who alleges his daughter is being held in a de facto sex cult run by R. Kelly is pushing authorities in that state to launch a criminal investigation into the controversial R&B singer.

Angelo Clary's plea comes on the heels of reports that the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office in Georgia launched a criminal investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct made against Kelly in Lifetime's explosive "Surviving R. Kelly" docu-series.

“I’m just wondering why Florida is not investigating this, because my daughter is from Florida, and the relationships and stuff started in Florida,” he told WTSP in Tampa.

Azriel Clary met the "Ignition" singer when she was pulled on stage during a 2015 concert at the age of 17. Angelo Clary believes that his daughter moved in with Kelly when she was 18 and the family hasn't heard from her since 2016. Her whereabouts remain unknown and the new docu-series documents her parents’ painful search for her.

Angelo Clary believes his daughter is one of several women held in an alleged sex cult run by him. The bombshell claims of the alleged cult were thrust into the spotlight last year with a BuzzFeedNews article.

Azriel Clary

The father told WTSP that another daughter visited Azriel at Kelly’s and allegedly noticed bruises on her body.

“My oldest daughter [not Azriel] downplayed it because she was scared of what they told her,” Clary said. “They threatened to do bodily harm to my daughter Azriel and to us if my older daughter told us what happened.”

Kelly has denied the allegations made in “Surviving R. Kelly” and he has threatened to sue Lifetime. Over the years has routinely denied many allegations of sexual misconduct against him, which date back decades. His team reportedly had plans to hit back at the singer’s accusers with the launch of a website called “Surviving Lies.” The site has not gone live yet but Facebook deleted its social media counterpart page for violating community standards.

[Photo: Thomas Miller Photography]