No Bond For R. Kelly, Will Remain In Federal Custody On Sex Crime Charges
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Singer R. Kelly has been denied bond and will remain in custody after his arrest last week stemming from a federal indictment handed down involving child pornography charges.
The bond hearing took place at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse with U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber presiding. Kelly entered a plea of not guilty.
BREAKING: Federal Judge denied bond for R. Kelly. He'll stay in custody. Pleaded not guilty to all counts. @cbschicago
— Megan Hickey (@MeganHickeyTV) July 16, 2019
Kelly was arrested in Chicago Thursday night on a 13-count indictment that includes sex crimes and obstruction of justice. At the same time, federal prosecutors in New York indicted the singer in a separate case accusing him of coercing women and girls into sexual activities.
Last week, Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg said the singer was not a flight risk and should be allowed to post bail.
In Chicago, federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Friday morning, charging him on 13 counts including child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and obstruction of justice.
The Chicago indictment accuses Kelly and former manager Derrel McDavid of conspiring to cover up videotapes Kelly allegedly made of himself sexually abusing children. Another Kelly employee, Milton "June" Brown, faces child pornography charges for allegedly helping ship videotapes of Kelly's sexual crimes in the U.S. mail.
The indictment accuses Kelly of abusing five girls:
- A 12- or 13-year old girl in 1996 or 1997
- A 17-year-old girl in 1997
- A 15-year-old girl in 1996
- A 16-year-old girl in 1999
- A 13- or 14-year-old girl in 1997 or 1998.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York filed a separate five-count indictment, charging Kelly with racketeering, transporting for prostitution and coercion or enticement to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Kelly's alleged crimes trigger many federal laws, especially child pornography and illegal activities that cross state lines. The penalties can be severe: Some child pornography crimes carry mandatory minimum prison sentences of five years or more.
R. Kelly legal team says there's no evidence that singer tampered with witnesses @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/DzzMkbKOtW
— Megan Hickey (@MeganHickeyTV) July 16, 2019
Kelly's next hearing is scheduled for September 4. It hasn't been decided whether he will have to physically appear in New York for the federal charges issued there before then.
CBS 2 has complete coverage of R. Kelly and the charges against the singer on the CBS 2 Chicago website.
[scribd id=416707054 key=key-FjRcuh14xPQzzYKW3XGB mode=scroll width="500" height="600"]
The Associated Press contributed to this report.