R. Kelly accused of running a 'cult' of young women housed in series of rented homes

R. Kelly is being accused by former colleagues and several families of operating a sex-cult comprised of young women whose lives, they say, are totally controlled by the 50-year-old R&B singer.

BuzzFeed News has published a report based on interviews with parents who claim their daughters are among six women Kelly keeps in his Atlanta and Chicago homes.

They, along with at least three former members of his entourage, have gone on record to charge that Kelly has replaced their cell phones and dictates everything from their eating and sleeping schedule to when they are allowed to leave his residence. They are also forced to call him "daddy," and submit to the filming of their sexual encounters.

"You have to ask for food. You have to ask to go use the bathroom," former personal assistant to Kelly, Cheryl Mack told BuzzFeed. "Kelly is a master at mind control...He is a puppet master."

According to the BuzzFeed report, authorities in Illinois and Georgia have administered welfare checks on Kelly's homes, upon learning of the allegations. No charges were brought up, however, due to the fact that the women are all of legal consenting age.