R. Kelly pleads not guilty, denied bail in sweeping sex crime prosecution

Two women who say they’re living with Kelly attended his arraignment Tuesday and sat in the front row. </s> R. Kelly pleads not guilty to new sex charges

(ABC NEWS) – R&B singer R. Kelly was in court again this morning. This time he’s facing several news sexual assault charges.

Watch the video above for the full story. </s> R&B singer R. Kelly pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a raft of federal charges accusing him of running a scheme to force women and girls to provide sex for himself and others, and a judge ordered that he remain in jail without bail.

A federal judge said the main reason he was denying bail was obstruction of justice charges, part of a multi-count indictment unveiled on Friday in Chicago and New York.

Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffed at a hearing in federal court, the 52-year-old singer entered his plea of not guilty and answered "Yes, sir," to all of US District Judge Harry Leinenweber's questions. He made no eye contact with supporters in the Chicago courtroom.

"Kelly is an extreme danger to the community, especially teenage girls," federal prosecutor Angel Kroll argued.

Prosecutors brought 18 counts against the Grammy Award-winning artist with allegations he preyed on teenagers and young women for two decades, forcing them into sexual acts.

Under the obstruction of justice charges, R. Kelly and his entourage are accused of paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to buy victims' silence, even giving a car to one young woman, and using intimidation and threats of violence. </s> (Reuters) - Grammy Award-winning singer R. Kelly was arrested in Chicago on federal sex crime charges, NBC News said, citing unidentified law enforcement officials.

R&B singer Kelly, 52, was arrested on Thursday by New York police detectives and investigators with the Department of Homeland Security, and is expected to be taken to New York City, the agency said.

Early on Friday, the Chicago Sun-Times said Kelly faces a 13-count sex crime indictment, citing the U.S. Attorney's office.

The R&B singer has vehemently denied abuse allegations for decades. In 2008, he was tried on child pornography charges and found not guilty.

The Sun-Times said Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg, on Thursday confirmed the arrest, but declined to give details.

Greenberg was not immediately available for comment to Reuters.

Chicago police referred all questions on the matter to the U.S. attorney's office or New York police, but representatives were not immediately available for comment.

In June, Kelly pleaded not guilty to 11 felony counts of sexual assault and abuse at a Chicago court hearing after prosecutors expanded an indictment against him.

Those counts, unveiled in late May in an indictment by a Cook County grand jury, involve alleged abuse of a victim between the ages of 13 and 16.

The accusations center on someone identified only as J.P. and the crimes are alleged to have taken place between May 2009 and January 2010.

Kelly could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on those charges.

In February, Kelly pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually assaulted three teenage girls and a fourth woman.

The charges were brought after seven women, including his ex-wife, appeared on a Lifetime television documentary and accused him of emotional and sexual abuse.

The singer, known for such hits as "I Believe I Can Fly" and "Bump N' Grind," spent a weekend in jail on the sex charges before being released on $100,000 bail on Feb. 25.

It was not immediately clear if the new federal charges against Kelly were related to previous cases. It was unclear where he was being held or when he would appear before a judge on the new charges. </s> Singer R. Kelly pleads not guilty to 11 more sex-related charges

CHICAGO — R&B singer R. Kelly pleaded not guilty to 11 additional sex-related charges on Thursday, including four counts that carry a maximum prison term of 30 years in prison.

Prosecutors did not ask the judge to raise the bond amount for Kelly during the brief hearing in Cook County court.

Kelly stood with his hands folded in front of him and listened to Judge Lawrence Flood describe the charges to him. When Flood asked if he understood, Kelly, responded, “Yes, sir.” The Grammy award-winning singer, who has denied any wrongdoing, left without speaking to reporters. A status hearing was scheduled for June 26.

Among the 11 new counts are four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, which carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. That is more than four times as long as the maximum term for each of the 10 counts Kelly was originally charged with in February.

Kelly’s defense attorney, Steve Greenberg, said after the hearing that he couldn’t speculate as to why prosecutors brought the new charges, which pertain to one of the four women he was charged in February with sexually abusing years ago, three of whom were minors when the alleged abuse occurred.

“It’s the same case. It’s just that they’ve just changed what they’ve charged him with,” Greenberg said. “It’s the same facts ... the same bond, the same evidence. We expect the same result.”

Asked how Kelly is coping, Greenberg said, “It’s tough. Everything is against him.”

Sophia Tareen and Michael Tarm are Associated Press writers. </s> Singer R. Kelly has reportedly been arrested on federal sex crime charges.

Citing “two law enforcement sources,” Chicago TV station WMAQ reported Thursday night that the 52-year old performer had been arrested in Chicago.

The arrest was made by New York Police Department detectives and federal officials with the Homeland Security Department, the NBC affiliate reported.

According to TMZ, Mr. Kelly was arrested under a 13-count indictment returned Thursday that includes charges of child porn and obstruction of justice.

WMAQ reported that Mr. Kelly is expected to be brought to New York for the next steps in the case.

Mr. Kelly has a lengthy arrest record on charges of sexual abuse involving minors.

He was arrested earlier this year and charged with aggravated sex abuse involving three minor girls and a woman. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bond.

More than a decade ago, Mr. Kelly was tried on child-pornography charges over a sex video, but the girl whom prosecutors said was shown (and would’ve been 13 at the time) denied it was her and Mr. Kelly was acquitted. </s> CHICAGO (Reuters) - Grammy-winning singer R. Kelly was charged on Thursday with 11 new felony counts of sexual assault and abuse that could, if he is convicted, send the R & B singer to prison for 30 years, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

Kelly was indicted by a Cook County Grand Jury on four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual assault by force and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, documents posted on the newspaper’s website showed.

He was also indicted on three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse against a victim between the ages of 13 to 16, according to the documents. The allegations center on someone identified only as J.P. in January 2010, with no other details provided.

R. Kelly “was NOT charged with a new case. He was recharged in an existing case, same alleged victim and time (a decade ago) It changes nothing,” the performer’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, wrote on Twitter.

“These are the same conduct, just charged differently, same alleged victim, same time frame, same facts. We expect the same results,” he wrote.

Kelly has denied abuse allegations for decades. In 2008, the singer was tried on child pornography charges and found not guilty.

Kelly, 52, pleaded not guilty in February to charges that he sexually assaulted three teenage girls and a fourth woman. The charges were brought after seven women including his ex-wife, appeared on a Lifetime television documentary and accused him of emotional and sexual abuse.

He spent a weekend in jail on the sex charges before being released on $100,000 bail on Feb. 25.

The new charges carry a sentence of 30 years for Kelly if he is convicted, the Sun Times reported. </s> R. Kelly has pled not guilty to 13 alleged sex trafficking charges. The 'Ignition' hitmaker was arrested on the charges - which also included charges for alleged child pornography and obstruction of justice - earlier this month, after he was already arrested on two separate occasions for 11 felonies related to sexual assault and abuse, and a further 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, all of which he has denied.

And after a court hearing on Tuesday, July 16, the disgraced RnB star entered a plea of not guilty to the latest charges.

But despite his not guilty plea, TMZ reports he will stay behind bars for the time being, after a judge denied his bond and sided with his prosecutors, who argued he shouldn't be allowed on the streets.

Prosecutors claimed the risk of obstruction is still ongoing, and alleged Kelly is a danger to the community, especially young girls.

They said: "[Kelly has the] unique ability to influence and intimidate witnesses and victims, and that continues to this day. It's who the defendant is."

Kelly's lawyer, Steve Greenberg, then argued Kelly is no longer a risk to minors as all but one of the allegations against him date back to the 90s, and insisted his client isn't a flight risk as he's already surrendered his passport to the authorities and doesn't like to fly.

Greenberg also noted the 52-year-old musician would make a "difficult prisoner" because of his notoriety, but the judge eventually sided with the prosecution, saying that the allegation of child pornography alone comes with a "presumption of detention".

Kelly has been ordered to stay in jail without bond.

The news comes just one month after the musician was last in court to plead not guilty to 11 felonies related to sexual assault and abuse in Illinois, including five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, four counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and two counts of criminal sexual assault.

In those legal documents, Kelly was accused of committing an act of sexual penetration on a victim known as "J.P." in an incident which allegedly took place in January 2010, when the victim was under the age of 18.

Kelly was also previously faced with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse when four women accused him of sexually abusing them, three of whom claim they were underage at the time of the alleged incidents.

The musician has denied all allegations against him. </s> Singer R. Kelly, already facing sexual abuse charges brought by Illinois prosecutors, was arrested in Chicago Thursday on a federal grand jury indictment listing 13 counts including sex crimes and obstruction of justice.

CHICAGO — Singer R. Kelly, already facing sexual abuse charges brought by Illinois prosecutors, was arrested in Chicago Thursday on a federal grand jury indictment listing 13 counts including sex crimes and obstruction of justice.

U.S. Attorney’s office spokesman Joseph Fitzpatrick said the R&B singer was taken into custody about 7 p.m. local time and was being held by federal authorities.

He was arrested after the federal indictment was handed down earlier Thursday in federal court for the Northern District of Illinois.

“The counts include child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that further details would be released Friday.

The arrest was the second time this year that Kelly has been taken into custody in Chicago on sex charges. The 52-year-old Grammy winner, whose real name is Robert Kelly, was arrested in February on 10 counts in Illinois involving four women, three of whom were minors when the alleged abuse occurred. He pleaded not guilty to those charges and was released on bail.

Then on May 30, Cook County prosecutors added 11 more sex-related counts against the R&B singer involving one of the women who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was underage.

His attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment on the federal charges. Fitzpatrick said Kelly’s arraignment date and time had not yet been set.

Kelly has faced mounting legal troubles this year after Lifetime aired a documentary “Surviving R. Kelly,” which revisited allegations of sexual abuse of girls. The series followed the BBC’s “R Kelly: Sex, Girls & Videotapes,” releasedin 2018, that alleged the singer was holding women against their will and running a “sex cult.”

Soon after the release of the Lifetime documentary, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her office had been inundated with calls about the allegations in the documentary. Her office’s investigation led to the charges in February and additional counts added in May.

Kelly avoided prison after similar allegations were made more than a decade ago. A jury in 2008 acquitted him of child pornography charges that stemmed from the publication by the Chicago Sun-Times of a videotape allegedly showing Kelly having sex with a minor.
American musician R. Kelly pleads not guilty to federal sex-assault charges but is denied bail.