Judge Denies Bail For R. Kelly In Sex Abuse Case In New York City

Source: Chicago Tribune / Getty

Judge Denies Bail For R. Kelly

R. Kelly ended up being denied bail on Wednesday in his New York City sex abuse case after a judge agreed with the prosecutors that freeing him from jail would only create a risk of him fleeing or tampering with witnesses. U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly denied a defense motion asking to release him on bond and allow home detention as she set a May 18 trial date.

The disgraced R&B singer didn’t attend the hearing in federal court in Brooklyn as he remains behind bars in Chicago awaiting a trial on related charges that is scheduled for April 27. Kelly pleaded not guilty to the New York charges in August, which accuse him of using his fame to recruit young women for illegal sexual activity. The defense has chosen to label the accusers disgruntled groupies.

In court papers filed on Monday, Kelly’s attorneys argued against the judge’s concerns, claiming the singer is so broke he couldn’t afford to flee if he wanted to. The papers also complained that he’s only able to receive visits in jail from one of two previous live-in girlfriends at a time.

The government responded to these claims in a memo, calling Kelly’s claims of poverty misleading and explaining that he “continues to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in connection with the royalties he is owed for his music.” The memo also went on to say that prosecutors have evidence of Kelly threatening to “release compromising and potentially embarrassing photographs” of an unnamed victim unless she dropped a lawsuit against him last year.